Wish you never left
by O'Donoghue
Summary: Minor Oh My Goddess crossover, an unwitting wish revives a past that will change everyone in the Tendo Household, if she can survive the chaos.
1. Chapter 1

Wish you never left - Chapter 1

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi and her licensees (Viz Communications in North America). This work is strictly for the non-profit enjoyment of fans. No copyright infringement is intended.

Last updated: 19/12/05

"Tomboy!"

"Idiot!"

The petty squabble seemed completely out of place on the beautiful sunny spring afternoon. Ranma really didn't want to be arguing but he had known Akane wasn't going to take it well when he started talking to Ukyo again as if the fiasco of a wedding last week and her involvement in its destruction had never happened. It wasn't that he was forgiving her, he just didn't like staying angry at his friends.

He glanced down at the fuming girl below where he stood on the fence. He still didn't get her. She was constantly shifting from hot to cold with him. She had switched from happy to angry over the failed wedding like she had a strobe setting. At first he figured she was happy she didn't have to marry a half man, and then she switched to being angry the wedding had failed.

"Look, Tomboy, I don't know what's got ya panties in a bunch. Ukyo is just a friend."

"FRIEND!" she screeched back at him. "I once considered her like that, but I changed my mind about that when... I don't know, maybe it was when she threw bombs at me!"

"It ain't like I asked her too. It ain't like you would have behaved any better if I went off to marry her!" he accused before he really considered what he said. You'd think by now he'd know better than to go down this path.

"What! If you want to marry her, GO! I'm not gonna stop a pervert like you! I wish you'd never even come into my life!"

He knew she didn't mean it when she was like this, but Ranma felt his chest tighten in pain. It cost him his attention as he was pushed from the fence forcefully and into a residential yard.

He could hear Akane's footsteps rushing off down the street as he sat up on the neat grass. Over his guilt at angering her again, he grinned that she mustn't be too upset if she didn't push him into some birdbath or pond.

Just then the sprinklers went on.

"Gods, I hate this curse."

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Hikaru Gosenkugi ran like the wind...

Well, a geeky uncoordinated wind.

He had been waiting months for this opportunity. He had been spying on Akane ever since she had returned from Ryuuganzawa with her fiancé. He had seen how close they had been getting, and though things settled back to the normal craziness soon after, he knew they cared for each other. And while Akane cared for Ranma, she could never accept him instead.

'But now, because of that fool Saotome, I have a chance!' He thought to himself as he ran home from seeing the two fighting and hearing Akane's parting words, 'I wish you'd never even come into my life!'

He wiped the sweat from his brow with his palm as he turned the last corner to home.

Rushing into his house he continued to run up the stairs to his room. Reaching for the handle, his sweaty hand failed to grip it and he slammed head first into the plywood.

\bang\

Looking up from the ground, he sat up, slightly put out that he had failed to even open the door, let alone mark the door with his impromptu charge. The damn thing normally opened with a stiff breeze through the house.

Climbing to his feet, he was a little woozy as he entered his room. Quickly binding two candles to the sides of his head, he pulled a box from his cupboard.

As he opened the box with hesitant fingers, he recalled purchasing it from an old crone at a dark magic shop he had attended. He had payed most of his college savings on the book, which the old woman claimed it could 'Grant wishes'. Only in hindsight did he really consider how eager she had been to sell it, nervousness he had not caught in his excitement.

It was a mystic tome that could grant a persons wish. But it could only grant a wish another made in ignorance, and worse still the black magic would only grant a wish made while acting under a heavy, negative emotion. Pain, Longing, Sadness, Hate, or as in this case, Anger.

He had watched Akane for months waiting for her to say those words, any wish that could get rid of Ranma. And now she had. Now it was time to free her.

Lighting the candles on his head, his hands caressed the image of a serene woman's face on the front of the book and he began to chant the words from the tome...

"Hikaru-chan?" his mother called. "Can you please take out the garbage dear?"

The chanting continued...

"Hikaru-chan."

The chanting wavered...

"HIKARU!"

The chanter left the room to put the garbage out in record time.

\\\\\

Ranma-chan arrived back at the Dojo and could hear the breaking bricks in the Dojo. "I'll wait to apologise," she mumbled to herself.

Entering the kitchen the red head froze under her mothers gaze. The older woman had been helping Kasumi in the kitchen, teaching her a new recipe, when her son... daughter, entered, but after a moment reached for a glass to fill with hot water from the kettle. "I won't ask." She said handing the redhead the glass.

Ranma quickly doused herself, eager to be back to being her mother's son, rather than her disappointment. Running his hand through his black hair to dry it some, he smiled and thanked his mother, hoping she would stop shaking her head with that small smile she always had when she watched him change.

"Kasumi-chan, could I leave you to finish here. I'd like to talk with my son."

"Of course Aunty Saotome. That would be fine. Thank you for teaching me this dish."

Smiling gently, the older woman nodded, "Despite my sons... condition, I don't think he would want to learn some of the things I've always wanted to teach a daughter, Kasumi-chan. I'm very happy to be here with you and your sisters."

Ranma wasn't sure what to say so wisely kept his mouth shut, suppressing that odd feeling of guilt and jealousy at sharing his mother as she watched the women talk as Nodoka readied two cups of tea.

Leading her son out of the kitchen, Nodoka past the two men playing Shogi on the porch, and walked over to the larger rocks of the pond before sitting sedately in the afternoon sun and handing her son one of the two cups.

Ranma nervously eyed the rock he was to sit on, and gently sat down followed her example, waiting readily for it to roll back with him into the water. When it didn't, he shoved a little against it, just to be sure it wasn't lulling him into a false sense of security.

Sipping her tea, Nodoka watched her son with amusement. She so wanted to be closer to him... She wanted the six-year-old boy her husband took from her back. "So Ranma-kun, how was your day at school?"

\\\\\

Akane continued practicing in the Dojo, her anger fading as her movements drained the energy from her frustration. Finishing another routine, she glanced out the Dojo doors and saw Ranma and his mother talking quietly by the pond.

She closed to beside the door to look out at them discreetly. She didn't begrudge either Ranma or Aunty Saotome any happiness in their reunion. But watching it like this, it was a painful reminder of her own late mother. She cared a lot about both the woman and young man out there. But...

\\\\\

Hikaru turned the last page of the tomb, sweat pouring from his face as he struggled to stay in control.

He was almost there. He could feel the power as he read the words from the page.

"Ip Snar, Nar Galush, let Akane Tendo's wish about Ranma come true. I beseech the gods. Grant her WISH!"

On the front of the book, on the forehead of the woman's face, a rich purple eye opened from an invisible slit, pulsing with power.

\\\\\

"I wish my mother was here." Akane mumbled to herself sadly, before her world was filled with white light.

\\\\\

A beautiful young goddess sat at her terminal at the Goddess Relief Office, watching over the connection board while waiting for her next assignment. She couldn't get over the odd flutter in her stomach. A feeling something big was coming. Not today, but soon...

Her thoughts were disrupted by the sudden burst of sparks and popping from in front of her, her hands automatically lifting in front of her to protect her from the sudden burst.

"What the f..." she began in surprise, before calming herself to an "Oh my."

Two other goddesses looked over from their terminals in sudden surprise at the event. Seeing the goddess was okay they looked at each other before looking back. One, a beautiful woman with golden tanned skin and platinum white hair leaned in her chair to whisper to the other.

"I didn't think my sister even knew that word started with an F."

"Got me Urd. I doubt anyone will believe she wasn't going to say 'Firetruck'."

All Urd could do was nod as she watched her younger sister begin to magically rebuild the ruined console and try to discover what happened.

\\\\\

Out of the clear blue sky, a mighty bolt of lightning slammed into the Tendo yard, specifically the head of perpetual guest and one half of the Dojo's heirs, Ranma Saotome.

Akane was thrown back into the Dojo by the thunderous blast, the fathers tossed into the house, their game board scattering. Nodoka was thrown heavily across the yard, rolling on the grass.

First back on her feet, Akane froze looking at the smoking hole where her fiancé had just been sitting. Even the rock was gone.

Rushing out, she was about to run to Aunty Saotome's limp form when she saw the red hair sitting under the water of the pond. Jumping in she began to lift the red haired girl from the water to the edge when she tripped into the water with a splash.

Raising herself and her fiancé, she began to move again, but froze when she saw what she had tripped over. Reaching down, she dragged the male body of Ranma to the surface of the water, her gaze repeatedly switching between the two Ranmas' she was holding up.

A shadow came over her and she looked up at the worried face of her father, moving to help her. His mouth was opening and closing but she suddenly realised that she couldn't hear anything over a low ringing in her ears.

Dragging the two Ranma's to the porch, she saw Uncle Saotome bringing the collapsed form of his wife as well. Kasumi and Nabiki were there and asking questions but she couldn't make them out. Kasumi finally checked over the three and gave her an 'okay' hand signal.

With her panic gone, an overwealmed Akane broke down and cried.

\\\\\

By the time Doctor Tofu arrived, Akane's hearing was slowly returning, she was now able to understand when yelled at. The Doctor had obviously been amazed by the presence of two Ranmas', but he seemed to think they were all going to be alright, despite the male Ranma's odd twitching.

It wasn't long before Nodoka woke up, obviously having trouble hearing but otherwise fine. She immediately began fretting over the two Ranma's and demanding to know what happened.

No one had any answers, though Nabiki did point out that it couldn't be natural, what with the clear weather, and the fact that every one of the fish in the pond had somehow survived.

It was still a couple hours later when the female Ranma began to stir, Nodoka and Akane immediately by her side.

"Ranma? Are you all right? Can you hear me?" Nodoka's voice was near pleading as she asked before hugging the smaller girl tightly.

Ranma-chan had no idea what was going on an quickly pushed the strange woman before her away. "Um, excuse me. Who are you people? Where am..."

Her blue eyes flashed around the strangers before widening greatly as they settled on Mr Tendo. "Soun? Soun-chan? What happened to you?"

Soun had no idea what to make of Ranma's behaviour, "Son? Are you all right? You took a nasty blow?"

The blue eyes looked back at him in amazement. "Son? Anata, what are you talking about? It's me. Kimiko."

Soun's body slumped as his eyes rolled back in his head at the declaration. He didn't fall, he just feinted and sat there.

"Mother!" Kasumi's voice squeaked.

The red-haired girl everyone knew as Ranma looked at Kasumi for a moment before the blue eyes widened even further. "K-Kasumi? You're... you're all grown up?"

The eyes swung around to look at the others, but focused on the two younger women, "Nabiki-chan? Akane-chan? H-how... you're all grown up? What happened to me?"

Akane's mind whirled before remembering her wish, made right before the lightning. "I... I wished you back," she said gently before looking at her sisters and back at the red haired girl.

"Mother!" she cried hugging the red head. "You came back!"

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Special thanks to MwhaleK, Paul Henkel, Rosedreams, Jamison Whithehead, Wheedle1, tendoakane3, and Sakurabana for proof reading and plot inspiring.

Thank you for reading.

Trent O'Donoghue 


	2. Chapter 2

Wish you never left - Chapter 2

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi and her licensees (Viz Communications in North America). This work is strictly for the non-profit enjoyment of fans. No copyright infringement is intended.

Last updated: 19/12/05

Ranma started awake at the sharp scent of the smelling salts his father's heavy hand wafted under his nose. As soon as Ranma's his blues eyes opened, Genma's quick hands were pulling him into a sitting position, the salts vanishing into his sleave as if they had never been.

"Doctor Tofu," the elder Saotome called out of guest bedroom the Saotome's shared, "My son is awake."

The doctor and Nodoka rushed into the room, both with concerned looks. "How do you feel Ranma?" Tofu asked as he knelt and began examining his patient.

"Fine, what happened? Someone hit me?"

After a few moments the Doctor seemed happy with Ranma's condition and smiled to relax his concerned parents. "Well there seems to be no damage at all, which is rather surprising for being struck by lightning. You're showing some signs of fatigue, I had hoped you'd sleep for several more hours before waking. But then that is the least of the surprises you tend to bring, ne Ranma?"

Though Tofu's statement raised many questions, Ranma's brow creased as he focused on one point, glaring at his father recalling the smelling salts, "Yeah, I probably could have done with a couple extra hours."

Nodoka looked between her husband and son, not sure what the issue was, before recalling the pots cooking in the kitchen down stairs. "Ranma, do you want to get some more sleep? Dinner is nearly ready but I can hold some for you?"

Smiling confidently for his mother, he turned from his father. "Nah, I'm okay. Dinner sounds good."

"Very good my son, get changed and come down to the table then," Nodoka smiled and stood. Her movements held for a moment as she considered something then reached over to the chest of drawers they all shared and drew out his newest set of pants and his nice green silk blouse for him. "Why don't you wear these tonight?"

As the adults left he began to change, wondering why his mother wanted him to be in some of his nicer clothes. He was just buttoning up the green shirt when he was seized and turned around by forceful male hands.

"Ranma!" Soun all but shouted into his face, his wide and rather wild eyes darting to the door then to the window he had climbed in then back at him.

"You have to tell me," he said in a strained and urgent whisper, "What was my dear departed wife's name?"

The sound of Ranma's blinking was audible in the silence of the room, "Akane's mom? No idea, Akane never said. Why?"

"Wahh-mmmmm"

Soun's wailing cry was muffled by Ranma shoving his dirty and still slightly damp shirt in the elder man's face, preferring not to have Akane's dad's tears on his green shirt.

The sound of someone at the front door made Soun look up again, still obviously panicked over something scaring him and with sudden speed he vanished out the window into the night.

With a shake of his head Ranma let the matter drop. Mr Tendo always was a little weird.

\\\\\

Having dumped his dirty clothes in the laundry, Ranma returned to the main hall on his way to the main room for dinner. Hearing the sisters talking inside of Doctor Tofu's fast departure, he walked straight in and dropped to sit cross-legged beside his fiancé.

"Akane, your old man is weird," he said simply, glancing at her on his right, Nabiki across from him and then at Kasumi in her spot on his left. His mind suddenly went on high alert.

Kasumi was shorter.

Kasumi had red hair.

Kasumi had a more obvious figure.

Kimiko blinked and the young man was gone, suddenly standing behind her daughter Akane rather than between them.  
Faced with his girl form sitting at the table in a long skirt and blouse, his mind quickly tried to make sense of the situation. His blue eyes suddenly narrowed as he realised her identity. "Hey, what are you doing out of the mirror?" he accused. He had thought that damn mirror had been sealed with his male and female copies locked together inside several months before.

"Ranma, stop being an idiot. This isn't your mirror copy, this is my mother."

The pigtailed martial artist's brain locked trying to make sense of the apparent gibberish that Akane had just declared and so was in no position to interrupt as Akane made the other side of the introduction. "Mother, this is my fiancé, Ranma Saotome."

Kimiko raised an eyebrow at Ranma, but smiled gently to her future son-in-law. "Pleased to meet you, Ranma-kun."

"Akane's mom?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes Ranma-kun, and I believe I have you to thank for my return?"

With a cautious look, Ranma gave a quick bow, trying to work out if she was meant anything by that, i.e. was she coming onto him. Last thing he wanted right now was any more girl problems. One way to make sure, "So you're in love with Mr Tendo?"

Nabiki had been quietly sitting back unmoving, deep in thought but this seemed to get her attention as she looked up awaiting the answer.

The red haired young woman blushed as she smiled. "He is my husband."

"Cool, ah, welcome back I guess." Visibly relaxing he moved to sit down but Akane beat him to it moving across and patting the seating pillow she had been using for him to sit there.

Kimiko watched him for a moment, obviously to his discomfort, before she spoke again. "Do you normally react to new women by jumping behind your fiancée?"

Akane giggled and Nabiki smirked as Ranma looked stricken for a moment before his confidence dominated his expression. "Nah, just when yet another woman falls in love with me I'm safer behind Akane, she's a bit of a bruiser when she's pissed and new girls turning up will set her off."

The youngest Tendo's giggling stopped as she spun on her fiancé, "Ranma! You Jerk!"

The sound of Akane's punches flying through the air filled the room as she tried to tag Ranma, but the target was far from co-operative. "See what I mean?" he asked Kimiko while dodging.

"Sit down NOW!" Kimiko thundered so loudly the sliding doors rattled. The returned Tendo mother was far from impressed, and both heirs to the Anything Goes Martial Arts School found their seats in damn quick order. Their faces showed far more obviously the surprise that Kimiko had lashed out so and even Nabiki's face showed her shock as Kimiko stood angrily.

"I realise that I have not been around to raise you my daughter but I am back and there will be no more fighting from or with anyone inside this house. Do I make myself clear?"

One head of short blue hair and one of dark with a pigtail both nodded.

Pale at the sudden commandment from her only hours returned mother, Akane could only get paler as the red head got into a rhythm, one unfortunately for Ranma, was targeted at him, "Ranma-kun, you are not my child but you are a guest of my family and as such you will not swear under this roof. As it is an honourable man would never swear in front of his fiancé."

Akane felt more than saw Ranma's flinch, and something welled in her enough to take action. "Wait Mother! Ranma is... Ranma was raised alone with his father on the road. Aunty and I have been trying to improve his manners since they were reunited, but..."

The shogi to the yard opened with a swish, and Genma strode into the room purposefully. Ranma noticed Soun's dark gi clad arm reaching for the elder Saotome's arm, trying to stop him before vanishing. Obviously Tendo was avoiding someone in the room.

"Now wait just a minute," Genma said pushing his glasses back on his nose, reflecting light hiding his eyes. "This is exactly the type of thing I took my son away from ten years ago. The boy can defeat an opponent with just words long before a fight starts and I will not have you destroy his training like this."

Akane jumped up, looking incredulously at Genma, "You've trained Ranma to be a jerk like this to win a few fights!" she accused.

The boy in question tuned out as Genma began explaining his brilliant and successful plan, his eyes on the doorway where Kasumi and Nodoka were looking in, attracted by all the commotion. Ranma didn't like the look of shame on his mother's face one bit.

"How many times has the boy's or even your life been saved by his skill and training, skill that I have meticulously..." \Splash\ "Growf?"

"I apologise Mrs Tendo. I promise I won't ever swear or call others names in this house again." Ranma said in a subdued voice as he sat back down, head bowed, returning the now empty glass of water to the table.

Kimiko didn't reply to Ranma, her face locked on Genma in amazement at the sudden transformation despite witnessing it earlier that day when her family and the elder Saotome's had been describing how she had come back in this new body, well to the best of their ability. Akane on the other hand was looking wide-eyed at her fiancée while Nabiki and the women in the doorway also showed levels of surprise.

Boy, don't throw your training away because your being brow beaten by a couple of weak girls. Genma signed trying to salvage the situation, swinging the other side around, Soun knows what is right and will put a stop to this as man of the house.

Unfortunately for Genma, the sign only elicited a low growl from Akane and an angry glare from Kimiko, Ranma having looked away after the first message. The Saotome Anything Goes technique of 'I'm not listening' was very effective against his father's signs.

\Splash\

Ranma looked up through dripping bangs of black hair with a murderous look at his father's panda face. The Panda's fanged jaws were barred in a rather vicious display that Ranma knew was his father's most smug Panda smile. He sprang to his feet like a blur, a stream of insults on his tongue ready to blurt out as his knuckles cracked, fists clenching to back the words up with a beating his father would never forget.

His blurring form stopped suddenly for a moment, glancing helplessly at Kimiko, realising he was now trapped by his promise. His father wasn't under any constraint and swung at him with the sign, trying to keep him angry and make him fight.

Ranma's blue eyes lit up suddenly and he moved, dodging the sign with a twist to step behind the blow, hands lashing out, one snagging the sign and ripping it from his father's grip the other shoving the Panda's forepaws onwards, adding to the momentum of the swing to let him get behind the black and white bear.

A howl of pain came from Genma's animal throat as his son grabbed a handful of fur-covered skin and twisted it sharply and painfully.

The women watched impressed as Ranma used the sign like a shovel under Genma's feet, combined with his grasp on his back to carry him outside and toss him into the yard. It could be argued it was fighting but most saw it as taking out the trash.

Now outside the house, Ranma smiled evilly, free of the constraints of his word to Kimiko. Taking a stance, he held the sign ready to beat his father, "That's it old man, this 'weak girl' is gonna kick your..."

The sign clattered to the grass, his voice trailing off when he noticed something. His voice... was male?

Everyone watched as Ranma's head mechanically looked down at his body. A sick grin of disbelief coming to his face as he patted down his \flat\ chest, his hands dropping quickly to make sure of other very important anatomical details were correct.

The grin got wider as he idly kicked his father over the neighbours fence and ran back inside, grabbing another glass from the table and tipped it over his head, his hands once again roaming around his male body.

Nabiki shook her head. "Looks like he just realised the significance of his cursed body sitting across from him could mean. Your fiancé isn't the brightest star in the sky, Akane."

The hundred percent boy looked down at Nabiki sitting at the table, his eyes brightening in understanding to match his smile. His beaming face turned onto Akane over the table. "I'M CURED!" he cried leaping the table to glomp onto her surprised form, lifting her and spinning around.

Akane struggled in his sudden embrace, but was released quickly, Ranma's hands suddenly gripping each side of her face. Her eyes were wide as his face approached hers, but he paused with their lips a bare inch apart.

She blinked, her mind refusing to do anything else at Ranma's actions, looking at his red face wondering if she should act. Before her mind could make the choice to close the distance, her soggy fiancé vanished, pushing passed her to embrace his mother at the door, spinning her around as well.

The hug his mother got ended quickly as her son spied the bane of his life over her shoulder. The Tendo Pond, still intact despite some of the ring stones being destroyed in the blast earlier.

"Heh... heh... heh... heh... heh..."

All in the room watched nervously as Ranma moved slowly, his almost sick laugh cutting through them as me moved out the door into the yard.

With a battle cry sprang forward and charged over the ground between him and his target to dive headfirst into the pool. He surfaced quickly, with a deep manly shout of joy.

Kimiko looked around the stunned faces of those with her. "Could someone explain what that was about, or is he normally like that?"

Noncommittal shrugs came from most as the women continued to watch Ranma splashing around in the cold pond, gargling the dirty water between shouts of happiness.

"So how far off is dinner?" Nabiki asked.

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With a feather light shuffle of her hands, Belldandy organized her notes. With a glance towards the other operators in the Goddess Relief Office, including her older sister Urd, for reassurance, she replaced her headset and dialled into the heaven network, extension zero zero zero zero one.

Urd brushed several strands of her white blonde hair back with a tanned hand, swivelling in her chair to fully watch her sister. Apart from the power surge of the unauthorised wish it had been a slow work week, especially since Urd was off the phones and left to maintain the power grid supplying the enforcement programs on old contracts without drains from new wishes.

"Hello Father," Belldandy's voice showed a tiny amount of nervousness that faded as he replied through the speaker of her headphones. "Yes Father, we have traced it to a fault in the human world. Urd and I managed to..."

Urd tuned out the specifics, already knowing how she had shown Belldandy how to trace the surge to an unauthorised wish, in this case made in Tokyo, Japan. No staff from the Goddess Relief Office, Earth Assistance Office, or any other wish granting divisions were in Tokyo at the moment, so that left demon or random magic sources. Unfortunately a trace for any chaos abnormalities in the region had nearly hit the limit of the scanners, and the region of chaos seemed to centre on exactly the same spot as the wish site. The Tendo Dojo.

Leaning forward, Urd showed her interest as her sisters report ended and she began to receive instructions from Kami-sama, replying often with 'Yes father', and 'I understand father'.

Depressing the button to end the call, she hung her headset up and turned around. She smiled at the sight off all the other goddesses staring at her.

"Well?" asked Urd impatiently.

"I have to go down to this Dojo for two days and see if this was just random chaos flux that reached all the way to our system or if there is a demon on the loose again."

Several of the goddesses sighed as the goddess stood and began to ready herself for the trip. Belldandy always got the luck, especially when it came to getting time in the human world. Some wondered if one day she was going to stay down there forever.

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The closet under the stairs was not large but, as a martial artist, Soun Tendo had faced far more perilous opponents than a night on a hardwood floor in an area so small he couldn't stretch out in.

He opened the door a crack again, making sure the house was dark and no movement was in the slight view of the hall it afforded him.

Hiding like this wasn't cowardly, it was just a way of getting by till the craziness in his son-in-law's life settled and his girl form was just around when the boy was splashed, and certainly not knowing all those things only his dear departed wife would know.

Meanwhile, in the master bedroom of the Tendo home, Kimiko angrily pushed her red hair back as she sat waiting for her husband to come to bed. This was the best time to talk to him now the children were asleep, but she had yet to see him since before dinner.

After a brief talk confirming her true identity to her girls he had vanished.

Her last memory before today had been him holding her in the hospital. She had felt so weak and needed him and he was there. She understood the shock he must be feeling, especially with how the girls said he took losing her, but it felt awful to be alone like this now.

With a huff she stood in the oversized nightie Kasumi had gotten out for her and got into her old bed. Turning out the light she lay her head down. She could instantly smell him on the pillow still, and with a smile her mind wandered back to before they married.

He had tried to drive her away then, wanting to protect her from that shrivelled old evil master. Well she hadn't let him go then and wasn't going to let him go now. This time she knew him even better than she had then, and with Happosai long dead, she had just had Akane when Soun and Genma buried him, this wouldn't even be tenth as hard.

"I'm coming for you Soun-chan, and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer!" she said into the darkness, a dark smile on her face.

To be continued…

Special thanks to MwhaleK, Paul Henkel, Rosedreams, Jamison Whithehead, Wheedle1, tendoakane3, and Sakurabana for proof reading and plot inspiring.

Thank you for reading.

Trent O'Donoghue 


	3. Chapter 3

Wish you never left - Chapter 3

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi and her licensees (Viz Communications in North America). This work is strictly for the non-profit enjoyment of fans. No copyright infringement is intended.

Last updated: 19/12/05

Kasumi woke rather suddenly, the dawn just breaking over the horizon. Her brow furrowed in constefrnation - something was wrong in the house.

Stretching gently, she rose from her bed and dressed. She moved quickly and quietly down stairs, heading first for the furo to fill and ready it for use by the house occupants before moving onto the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Even though she heard it long before she could see it, she still opened the door and looked at the Furo tap, already turned on, slowly filling the huge tub with hot water.

Leaving it to complete filling, she moved back towards the hall and the kitchen.

Once again, she knew it was happening before entered, this time it was the smells of cooking rather than sounds of water that came from her domain.

Turning into the kitchen, she stopped suddenly, blinking at the sight of the boiling pot and kettle, as well as Ranma-chan leaning against the bench. Beside her on the cutting board was what looked like dough, though the blue eyes of the chef looked at the wall, a distant look on her face as she cradled an old rolling pin.

Kasumi didn't move for a long moment, her mind awash with the turmoil as she recalled this was apparently her mother, returned by magic from heaven. Though all the facts pointed this to being her mother, she couldn't seem to adjust it in her heart, like the full idea hadn't dropped yet.

"Mother?" she asked gently, part of her wanting the red haired girl to answer affirmatively, the other wanting to see confusion that Ranma would answer such with.

The blue eyes suddenly focused on her and a smile opened under them, "Kasumi-chan, you're up early. I didn't wake you did I?"

"No, I didn't hear you at all. I'm normally up this early."

Blushing, Kimiko smiled uncomfortably. "I'm sorry Kasumi-chan. I just need to adjust with how grown up and beautiful you all are. I guess I just want my babies back."

An uncomfortable silence sprung up and Kimiko held up the rolling pin in her hand, running her thumbs along the ridge join of the handles, "For me it was only weeks ago when we bought this, I remember the handles. I remember Nabiki had been cross with me, she thought I should have bought a cheaper one." The red-head looked from the pin to her daughter, "I remember her grumbling till I baked a set of cookies with it and she never said another word, though she had a stomach ache from eating so many of them." She shrugged to herself lightly, her eyes turning inward. "It's so worn, but I can't imagine it has survived ten years."

When Kasumi didn't answer, she waved her hand at the dough. "I guess that is why I am making these while breakfast cooks, I want to try and get back those days. Anyway, it is still early, do you want to go and get some more sleep? I'll wake you when the furo is ready if you like?"

Kasumi smiled uncertainly, obviously uncomfortable with the idea. "No thank you mother, I'll just go and start the laundry."

"Oh, could you leave them dear. Nodoka promised to show me how to use that new washing machine after breakfast this morning. Go have a sleep-in, I can handle all the chores."

Kasumi mumbled an acceptance to her mother and in a daze returned up stairs. Undressing and putting on a fresh nightie she slid back into bed, very aware of the light coming in the window, and looked up at the ceiling.

\\\\\

"That tree was just a sapling, now it's huge."

Kimiko's voice had lost the edge of surprise that it had when this walk had started but it still held that same wonder that she had when she commented about anything from her old life that had been cut short a decade ago. In this case she was gesturing to a tree in the park, its trunk thick and its leaves a bright green in the spring Sunday.

Akane hadn't stopped smiling the entire walk, as happy as she ever recalled being as she walked with her sisters, her returned mother, and Aunty Saotome through the streets. A little part of her knew one thing was lacking from making it a perfect day, but then again \he\ couldn't say anything to ruin the moment if he wasn't here.

Her brown eyes narrowed at a couple boys passing them on the street. Another thing ruining the day was that even in a rather plain long brown skirt and pale blouse, from her own and Kasumi's wardrobes respectively, many boys were eyeing her mother far too much.

Forcing down her ugly thoughts about perverts, and any thoughts about her own absent pervert, she listened to Nabiki telling their mother about the tree and changes to the park that had happened in the last decade. The middle sister had been surprisingly close to their returned mother today, and seemed to going overboard in answering anything Kimiko said or asked. Akane couldn't recall the last time Nabiki had been so helpful without a superior tone in her voice.

Up ahead, the small shopping mall into view, starting another spiel from Nabiki about how the road had been closed and paved over for pedestrian use only. Seats, trees and a water feature had been added to give a more relaxing and comfortable feel, 'a statistically proven marketing choice' the brown haired girl added.

Being Sunday, several market vendors with trolleys, carts, and yatti dominated the pavers in neat rows and dozens of shoppers moved between shops and booths looking for their needs and wants.

The party of women from the Tendo Dojo moved through the throngs, Nabiki playing tour guide and warning her Mother in lower tones of who were price gougers and who were quality vendors in the mix.

A simple summer dress of blue/green cotton caught the blue eyes of Kimiko and she moved over to examine the material beside the doorway to a shop.

"Is the material all right mother? It seems a bit cheap for any quality..."

Kimiko gave Nabiki a look with one eyebrow raised that cut her off, "I have bought clothes before Nabiki-chan."

She glanced around to make sure she had the attention of all three of her daughters before making a shooing motion with her hands, "Away with you. I am not going to shop with all of you hovering around like flies. Nodoka and I will be quite all right for a while by ourselves. Go, enjoy yourselves and we can meet back here and get some lunch after I've seen the hairdresser."

All three girls looked slightly embarrassed by their mothers order, though Kimiko failed to notice as she glanced again at the bright red coloured hair in the thin length she had hanging loose over her shoulder.

Looking back at her grown up daughters, the red haired girl looked to Nodoka nervously, "I wasn't too harsh was I?"

"Not at all Kimiko-chan. Though to tell you the truth I am a little jealous of how the girls want to be so close again. My son, before I knew of the curse, used to be much the same at times."

Kimiko smiled and nodded back at the elder woman who was quickly becoming a close friend. Her in-attention cost her as a dress she had been returning to the rack failed to catch on the rail and fell to the ground.

\\\\\

Tatewaki Kuno, the peerless Blue Thunder of Furinken High, strode through the common place market in his home neighbourhood in search of the perfect gift for his two true loves for his upcoming eighteenth birthday. The present he had wanted them to share with him on such a universally special day, the destruction of the demon Saotome, had so far continued to elude his grasp.

A glimpse of red through the thin crowd of Sunday shoppers attracted his eyes and caused his heart to leap with joy, for he would know that shade of red had he his very own noble eyes been cut out and thrown into the ocean!

Rushing between stalls and shoppers, he sought his love, the Pigtailed Girl. Coming upon where he had seen her hair, his eyes swept the area before locking onto the form of a young woman, bent over at the waist to pick up a fallen garment. Though he could not see the girl's hair, he knew who it was, for he would recognise the beautiful round shape of her rear under the brown skirt even had his eyes been cut out and thrown to hell itself!

For a moment, he would have been content to watch forever when he heard the low wolf whistle from another in the crowd. They were admiring the firm young round cheeks that where his alone to admire!

Kimiko bent at the waist to retrieve the fallen dress and its hanger when she heard the whistle behind her. She began to rise when suddenly a hand was on her back and someone was standing very close behind her, far far too close inside her personal space.

"Nay, only those who best myself, Tatewaki Kuno, age seventeen, in combat shall look upon the firm round wonder that the gods have gifted my Pigtailed Girl, for all others shall suffer hell cast down by my indomitable wrath!" Holding his love to protect her, Kuno covered her as best he could, standing in front of her with his body, waving his boken in challenge at all who should dare to look.

Kimiko was stunned for a moment, by the sudden appearance of the speech spouting martial artist behind her, but when he thrust his hips and he spoke of his wrath, very old instincts took charge.

"Pervert!"

\Swoosh\

\SMACK!\

Kimiko looked at her hand in horror. She had swung around and slapped him faster than she had been able to see. Though she didn't regret slapping him, the almost deafening clap of the impact on his cheek shook her to her soul. Part of her mind wondered in baffled panic at where this strength had come from.

Suddenly coming to her senses, she ran to where the boy had landed, praying she hadn't hurt him too bad yet fearing she had slapped his whole face in. Reaching his form leaning against the wall, she reached a hand onto his tall shoulder to pull him back and see the damage. "Are you all right? Let me see?"

The young man in the hakima pants and kimono top seemed to spring back to life turning to face Kimiko in an instant, his hand taking hers. "Of course I am alright my dearest Pigtailed girl, as if a love tap from your delicate hand could come between us. Please, gaze upon my visage to your hearts content, you have but only ever to ask."

Holding his head out for a profile that this love may take in, the side that did not show his beloveds slightly stinging greeting, he busied himself by bringing her hand he still held to his lips.

Kimiko's face showed her horror again as the young man she had feared she had killed bounced back with little more than a growing bruise on his face. As his lips drew close to her skin, she yanked her hand back, away from his mouth but his vice like grip holding on.

"Let go pervert!" she cried, still backing away, dragging Kuno with her as she strained in vain to free her arm.

"Nay my love, for I will banish the demons hold over you and you will be free to follow you fondest wish, to with date me!"

The red haired young woman's eyes popped opened further in panic as Kuno's lips again puckered for a kiss, this time his aim in the lower half of her face. Her terror flowed through her muscles and with a final effort, she tried to yank her hand free again, this time feeling with joy as her slender fingers came through his grip.

The crowd watched as Kuno lost his grip on her, tragically just as her hand reached a straight armed apex over her body, flinging her paramour over stalls and further into the mall.

Gulping for breath to overcome her confused panic after inadvertently flinging Kuno away, Kimiko scanned the crowd for Nodoka or her daughters, hoping one of them could explain who that boy... that thing, was.

Her eyes locked on Mrs Saotome for all of a second before she was slammed into again. She caught a glimpse of something purple gripping around her like a four-armed octopus before a cute Chinese girls face came at her, and hot water came scalding down on her head.

"Nihoa Airen!" Shampoo cried at what she thought was her female husband from a distance of a few centimetres. "Is beautiful Sunday..."

The Amazons voice faltered as she realised her man had not turned back into a man with her hot water and was vainly trying to back away from her, the blue eyes showing fear and confusion.

Had Kimiko been able to think, she might have accepted that there were more scary things around than Kuno. Unfortunately her mind was trapped between the concepts of 'pervert' and 'girl' as she backed up carrying the entwined purple haired woman with her, at least till something hit the back of her legs.

\Splash\

Gasping for breath, Kimiko took a long moment to resurface in the low fountain, her body over reacting and simply thrashing in the water as she dealt with panic, drowning, and the tangle of empty clothes suddenly left on her.

Strong hands suddenly gripped her and lifted her soaking form out of the fountain, as she sputtered and tried to sit up and take breath.

Sitting up however failed as a hand pushed her back down, a hand right over her right breast!

Slapping it away here eyes managed to blink out the water and she tried to sit up again, her blood turning cold as she saw him above her.

"I feel no heartbeat! Do not fear, Pigtailed one, for I shall give you the kiss of life!" Kuno cried, puckering his lips to kiss life back into his downed goddess.

"Kuno you idiot!" Akane screamed before charging in and kicking the Kendoist high over the city skyline. "Mom, are you okay!"

Kimiko sputtered out some more water as she recovered, hoping this was the end of it, "Yes, I'm fine Akane-chan..."

"MROW!"

The purple cat's cry preceded her pounce as Shampoo-neko angrily leapt at Kimiko, trying to claw her blue eyes out, only to be caught and held by the targets firm grip.

"What is this?" Kimiko asked looking at the soaked cat, who moments before had been angry and now was wide eyed with surprise, hanging from her grip loosely.

Akane looked rather evilly at the cat, Shampoo suddenly nervous. "Oh, she must have escaped from the pet store. Here, I'll take her back."

With a frightened cat cry, Shampoo struggled free, bounding away like lightning as Akane and Nabiki laughed, Kasumi smiling as she gathered up Shampoo's discarded clothes.

"That, mother, was Shampoo..."

\\\\\

'Mother!' That word left the short, weedy boy reeling.

After sleeping well more than overnight since he granted the wish, overwhelmed by the taxing effort of using the mystical tome, he had headed for the Tendo Dojo, only to be horrified by the appearance of the cursed Saotome emerging with the beautiful Akane and her sisters.

Saotome was in his cursed form and joined by his mother, the five women meandered around the streets towards the mall, the short boy following at a distance. Tragically too far away to listen in, his stomach lurched back and forth as he tried to conceive what had gone wrong with the wish. In the crowds, and with the group splitting up, he managed to get closer, finally hearing Akane after helping Saotome get rid of Upperclassman Kuno, but when she called the red-head 'mother'!...

Even his emerging hope from the red-head releasing her hair from a pigtail and the feminine outfit choice signified that Saotome had suddenly become girl form permanently and so couldn't marry Akane, didn't come close to somehow making his rival into his desire's mother.

His thoughts were interrupted as he realised how close he was, Akane and Nabiki leading the soaked girl away from the fountain, not noticing him, as they discussed Shampoo.

"…and because of that Shampoo thinks she is Ranma's wife."

Gosenkugi and Kimiko shook their head. "And how does Ranma feel about her? That was more than a friendly hug," the red-head said in a cool voice.

The pretty face of her youngest daughter looked flustered, part of her angry but part defensive, neither going anywhere. However her middle daughter just clucked her tongue, "Throwing her body at him hasn't worked yet. If Ranma wasn't so hung up on Akane, she might have a chance."

"He is NOT hung up on me!" Akane said, starting hotly but faltering fast.

"Oh please Sis, now that he is all man, he is so going to be knocking on your door at night."

Akane's heated denials faded from his ears as the weedy boy ran off again for home, wondering how her wish to never have met his rival had cured his rival, and somehow brought her mother back.

\\\\\

The curtain over the door to Ucchan's Okonomiyaki flowed out of the way as another customer entered. The chef looked up from the sizzling grill stacked with fresh okonomiyaki for the Sunday lunch rush and smiled widely.

"Ranma-honey, have a seat. One special coming right up."

Flicking his pigtail over his shoulder, Ranma smiled to his old friend and then at the waitress Konatsu.

Ukyo could have feinted in delirious surprise from the happy smile her fiancé flashed at her, her thoughts whirled as she wondered what she had done right to have him here so happy. He normally came to her to hide from problems or talk about problems. Her brow furrowed as she busied herself with her work again, wishing the lunch rush would end so she could sit and talk to her fiancé. Idly she looked at Ranma's shirt wondering about the damp patches on the material.

Ranma was still grinning when Konatsu approached, "May I get you a drink, Ranma-sama?" The kunoichi's feminine voice showed her willingness to help but few in the restaurant realised the beautiful waitress was actual a male.

Flashing the waitress his brightest smile, he kept his face on her but his eyes angled to see Ukyo's response. "Why yes Natsu-chan," he started, overacting badly. "I would really like a glass of \ice\ \cold\ water."

The way Ukyo's face shot up to look quizzically at Ranma just made the pigtailed boys grin widen, and her confusion showed as he obviously wasn't going to say anything about it and ruin whatever he was building up to.

With graceful efficiency Konatsu brought out a bottle of water form the fridge and a glass for Ranma.

"Uh, Ranma-honey, aren't you worried about spilling it on yourself? What with the curse?" Ukyo asked from where she was cooking as he poured the water into the glass.

"Oh yeah, with my \curse\ I have to be careful with \ice\ \cold\ water like \this\ don't I?" All the while Ranma was grinning, and watching not just Ukyo and Konatsu but the other customers as well. When he thought he had most of their attention he cried "Oops!" and spilt the water right up his shirt.

Ukyo's eyes were the size of dish plates as she looked at her fiancé and many in the restaurant were murmuring at this spectacle, either in confusion over where the curse had gone, or for those who knew nothing of the curse were simply confused.

"Damn, I am just so clumsy today," Ranma said with a look of false innocence that was as successful as Happosai's version was.

"Ranma-honey? You're cured?" Ukyo cried with disbelief, ignoring her cooking. At his eager nodding she jumped around the counter to hug him...

"Mrow!"

...And found empty air. Glancing up she saw Ranma hanging in fright from the ceiling. The source of the noise that terrified her fiancé was the small purple cat in the doorway to her shop striding in like she belonged here.

"What are you...? Never mind, you're scaring Ranma." Lifting Shampoo-neko up, she moved around and handed the cat to Konatsu, who took her out the back, before washing her hands and getting back to the grill. "S'okay Ranma-honey, she's out the back getting changed."

Dropping back down, trying to get his breathing and heart rate under control, Ranma retook his stool. "What is she doing here like that?" he asked trying not to think about c-c-c... those kind of pets.

"Oh, I let her keep clothes here to change back into. Apparently the old letch chases her with a kettle when he sees her like that in the streets." She flipped a couple okonomiyaki to plates and coated the top with sauce and Japanese mayonnaise before passing them to customers. "So how'd ya get cured, Honey?"

"Shampoo want know too! Where other girl-type Ranma from? She no scared of Shampoo cat!" Shampoo was obviously angry about something that only Ranma seemed to understand as she appeared from out the back, just finishing buttoning up one of her silk pantsuits. Konatsu followed her out, blushing badly and keeping his eyes on the floor except for one glance at Ukyo that just made him blush worse.

Ranma gave a grin, wondering how a meeting between Shampoo and Mrs Tendo would have gone. "That ain't me, that's Akane's mom."

Both girls tried to comprehend his meaning as he continued, "Yesterday afternoon I got hit by lightning and bang, I am cured and Mrs Tendo is alive in my girl form."

"Airen no cursed? Shampoo so happy!"

Like a purple blur, the Amazon bounced forward to give her all-but-husband a celebratory glomp...

\THUNK\

... And found her path blocked by a huge spatula embedded in the counter, the other side held by the dark haired shop owner glaring at her.

"Um, Ranma-sama, there was no storm yesterday?" Konatsu asked as he tended the cooking while Ukyo was distracted.

Ranma shrugged "Yeah, something about Akane wished her mother back."

"Kitchen-wrecker have magic power?"

"I don't know, but apparently that was what she did then I was blasted," he replied, somewhat annoyed with Shampoo's name for his fiancé.

"Ranma-honey, that's brilliant! I'm so proud of you!"

More than just Shampoo and Ranma looked in confusion at the euphoric face of Ukyo as she rushed forward to hug the stuffing out of him...

\Smack\

... And was held back by a wood handled mop braced in front of her by the steady grip of an angry Amazon. It wasn't a Bonbori but it was the best Shampoo had on short notice.

"What spatula-girl talk about?"

Ukyo turned on Shampoo, speaking slowly as if to a child, "Mrs Tendo is in Ranma's girl body making her like Ranma's twin sister. If she gets married to Akane's old man again that stupid promise between Ranma's fat father and her old man is complete. The families will be joined, Ranma won't be forced to marry Akane!"

Konatsu felt the painful fears of losing any chance with Ukyo growing in his chest, but the look on Ranma's pale face gave him some hope that this wasn't the end of his chances.

\\\\\

Kasumi smiled nervously, willing down the emotions cascading through her as she and her sisters looked at their returned mother. She joined her sisters as they agreed with her choice in hair cut. On the short red haired girl, the short style came off very well if very different to the fluff and pigtail they were used to. But for the three Tendo sisters it was the same style they had seen her last wearing as children, and Kasumi could see it in her sister's wet eyes with just a glance.

The red haired girl smiled happily at her daughters and thanked the hairdresser and soon the four Tendo women and Nodoka stepped back out into the street.

"You realise Mother, that this will probably freak Daddy out more?" Nabiki drawled, "I thought Ranma was skittish, but he's got nothing on Daddy."

"I managed to convince Soun-chan that I was the best thing that could happen to him before," Kimiko said confidently as they walked, her eyes glazed recalling how Soun had been adamant against marriage while he was under his lecherous martial arts master. "Very soon he'll be dragging me back down the isle."

The group passed, the Nabiki asking for more details on her plans, leaving in their wake a startled looking child about ten years old. The brown haired little girl wore a loose yellow dress, and currently had her mouth and cheeks all but coated in toffee from a toffee apple in her hands.

Hinako Ninomiya blinked her wide eyes. 'Soun-chan!' she fumed to herself. The teacher and head disciplinarian of Furinkan High had long held a crush for the eligible widower, Soun Tendo, but his love for his wife was still strong and she was patent enough to wait for him to be ready for his heart to open again. The idea that that delinquent student Ranma Saotome would dare try and swoop in on the sweet yet vulnerable man was unforgivable.

Fumbling with toffee coated hands for a coin took a moment, as did trying to hold it right with sticky fingers, yet finally she brought out her five yen coin. "Hold delinquent!" she cried, before blinking and realised that the Tendos' and Saotomes' had moved on onto the mall further.

Fuming again, the little girl began pursuit before pulling herself short. No, this was a time for planning. If Soun was over his wife she needed to set a good impression as she pursued him and stopped these delinquents.

Meanwhile, running from the market having climbed down from the shop roof across from the hairdresser, a diminutive ninja made his way back to the Kuno mansion. A video camera held tight in his hand.

'Master Kuno is going to be very upset with what I have found.' Sasuke thought to himself, imagining the words his Master was going to rant and yell when he found out his young red-haired beloved now loved his other beloved's father.

\\\\\

As dusk settled, a storm flared around the Kuno estate with bright flashes of forked lightning and mighty cracks of thunder, combined with the loud ranting about demons from inside the mansion, that sent the neighbours and animals into hiding.

One ragged figure of a young man stumbled alone, a red bamboo umbrella in his hand in case rain decided to fall. He looked at the mansion beside him with a small amount of disgust. "Shut up Kuno," the bandanna-wearing boy called out, knowing that he had about as much chance of shutting the nobleman up as he did of curing his curse.

To his surprise the noise of ranting and storm faded, replaced with a few moments of demented feminine laughter from inside the grounds. Apparently he wasn't the only one fed up with the noise.

'So I'm back in Nerima again,' Ryoga Hibiki thought to himself. 'Maybe I should try and find Ranma and Akane. I need to find Akari again, maybe they'll help?'

The boy began to trudge ahead, hoping to stumble over the Dojo home of his friends when a bright light began to shine nearby.

A street mirror, used to see traffic around the blind corner of a driveway, began to shimmer with light. Then as if the surface was water and not solid glass, two feminine feet began to slide out, followed by legs and a dress of flowing lavender folds. Finally a full woman emerged from the mirror, the glow fading back out, the woman straightening her long light brown hair and lavender dress as her earrings jingled lightly like chimes. Looking up, she surveyed her surrounds, finally returning to the human world after many years, taking in every detail, as her father had wanted.

"Oh my!" she exclaimed suddenly as she saw Ryoga looking at her surprised. "Uh, hello there, sorry if I surprised you." She blushed lightly at his staring.

"Uh, yeah hi..." Ryoga said slowly before shaking his head as if to clear it. So she had appeared out of a mirror, so she was floating a few inches off the ground, this was Nerima…

"Sorry to bother you, but would you know where I might find the..."

"Tendo Dojo?" Ryoga asked with a rather resigned sigh, once again glancing at how she hovered off the ground.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"A guess," Ryoga frowned slightly, "You're not here to marry Ranma are you?"

Belldandy frowned in confusion and shook her head gently, "No, I am here looking for an accident that happened. I don't know any Ranma I'm afraid, does he live at the Dojo?" Her brow furrowed cutely as she looked down at her legs, "Is something wrong?"

Blushing at being called on his staring, Ryoga shook his head, "I, err, it's just the floating is a bit weird."

The foreign woman blinked, blushing lightly in embarrassment. She hadn't thought of how no one else seems to do that in the mortal world. Landing gently, she smiled in thanks. "My name is Belldandy."

Blushing again at being smiled at by a pretty girl, Ryoga nodded, "Hi, I'm Ryoga Hibiki. Er, the Dojo is this way."

With a gentle smile, Belldandy fell into step beside Ryoga as he led them out of Nerima...

To be continued,

Special thanks to MwhaleK, Paul Henkel, Rosedreams, Jamison Whithehead, Wheedle1, tendoakane3, and Sakurabana for proof reading and plot inspiring.

Thank you for reading.

Trent O'Donoghue


	4. Chapter 4

Wish you never left - Chapter 4

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi and her licensees (Viz Communications in North America). This work is strictly for the non-profit enjoyment of fans. No copyright infringement is intended.

Last updated: 04/09/09

Ranma glanced around as he stood in the gate to the Tendo's yard. His brow was furrowed, his thoughts a jumble.

He had to find out if what Ukyo had guessed was right, because if it was his entire life situation would be changed... and it unnerved him more that it scared him so much. Right now everything was on a knife's edge of balance between the girls who liked him, and it didn't take much to upset that balance. The attempted wedding had proven how far out of control it could go.

His hand stopped on the gate as he realized that the only real difference between this situation and the wedding was which of his girls was being removed, and the always unsettling thoughts about how the idea of losing one in particular hurt more than losing all the rest of those friends.

Closing the gate, Ranma moved for the house when he saw the bushes near the wooden house rustle slightly in the still air. Always eager for a distraction from thoughts of his mercurial fiancée, he quickly turned away and made for the corner of the house nearest him. Once out of view of the bush, he sprang up, a straight leap up the two stories to the roof and crossing quickly to the edge to spy down on the spy hiding below.

Looking down from above, Ranma saw the dark gi clad figure and shook his head, expecting better from the Kuno's personal ninja manservant. Jumping down he snagged the gi and pulled him up.

"All right Sasuke, what ya look'en for..."

Ranma's surprise let the over sized Sasuke swing around and put his hand over his mouth. Through the dirty face and twigs in the mustache, he was surprised it wasn't Kuno's manservant but Akane's father.

"Sh boy, she'll hear you!" Mr Tendo hissed at him.

Rolling his eyes, Ranma allowed the elder Tendo to calm down.

"Why haven't you fixed your curse yet, Son? Don't you know how hard this is on me?!"

Ranma frowned, "Whys it hard on you? The way you acted when Ms Hinako was hitting on you, I figured you'd be all for your wife back? Besides, nothing personal but I don't want my curse back."

The head of the Tendo family shook his head rapidly but before he could reply the door from the main room on the nearby veranda opened suddenly and the red-haired head of the woman in question stuck out, quickly turning to scan the yard.

"Soun-chan? Is that you? Can you please come in, we need to talk." Her voice showed hints of tiredness, like it wasn't the first time she had called out.

Ranma found himself standing alone in the bushes of the garden and quickly stepped out, moving towards her. "Ya might want to give him a few more days to get a grip, I don't think he's ready to sit and talk yet. Let him miss a few of Kasumi's meals and he'll come home," he stated as he stepped up on the balcony.

"Oh hello Ranma, welcome back," Mrs Tendo replied with a sunny smile.

"Hey, what'd ya do to my...er... your hair?"

Kimiko smiled a little impishly, "Do you like your future mother-in-laws new hair style?"

The boy in question looked at the new shorter style again and the attractive blouse and long skirt the woman in his girl body had on, keeping the visual sweep short as he saw Akane with Nabiki and his own mother at the table behind her. "Yeah it's okay, though it isn't really surprising Mr Tendo ain't coming out of hiding if you're going for some cute girl look. It's probably making him even more skittish with ya."

The voice of the middle Tendo daughter carried her smirk at the two on the balcony, "I'd listen to him Mom, Ranma should be able to spot a skittish man with ease by now."

Akane caught on quick, "As they say, it takes one to know one."

"Hey!" Ranma cried at the double team of the giggling girls but managed to keep his tongue in his mouth and not start insulting the girls in front of Mrs Tendo.

Frowning slightly at the accusation of her son being 'skittish' around women, Nodoka shook her head, recalling how some of those girls shamelessly pursued him while he was engaged to Akane, it wasn't really that surprising. Besides, it wasn't honorable to two-time his fiancée. Once he was married he could think about a discrete mistress. "Perhaps we could get back to the matter at hand." She suggested with a gesture to the paperwork on the table while her other hand waved to her son to sit between her and Akane.

"So what ya doing?" Ranma asked in a board tone of voice, it looked like some kind of homework.

Nabiki smiled as she explained, "I won't bore you with the specifics Ranma, but right now mom is legally dead, so if she gets into trouble with the law she'll need some kind of identity papers. What we're going to do is add mother to the Saotome register as your sister and then she can be remarried to daddy as far as the law is concerned..." her smiled failed as Ranma paled and he glanced anxiously at Akane. "Is there a problem, Ranma?"

Feeling trapped by all the women looking at him, Ranma shrugged. "Well, I uh, that is, ah, shouldn't your dad be in on this, I mean we don't need to do this right now, right?" Three confused looks were focused on him but his eyes were locked on Nabiki's as her gaze narrowed. He gulped.

He gulped again as her smiled returned and she looked pleasantly at her Mother.

"Maybe we should get daddy's input tomorrow on this Mom, I'm sure Ranma will be more than happy to help us find him." Before anyone could object she smiled at Ranma. "Ranma, be a dear and come and help me move my desk? I lost some papers behind it."

Ranma wasn't sure who was goggling at Nabiki more, him or Akane, but either way he had an out from the room and wasn't passing it up. As he rushed for the stairs, he faintly heard the mothers asking Akane if she wanted another cooking lesson as he raced up the stairs.

"So Nabiki, where do ya want ya desk?" he asked as the girl in question casually walked up the stairs and passed him, opening her door. He grew nervous as she sighed in a tired way, making him think of that huff Akane sometimes gave him when he said something she didn't like.

"Leave the desk alone and sit down," She said in a voice that made it more than a suggestion. Nabiki sat on the bed and faced him, her shins crossing. "Now, why are you so nervous about that the family registers?"

She almost growled with frustration as her future brother-in-laws face showed he really wasn't expecting to continue with whatever problems he had had downstairs.

"Er, I got no problem with it, I just think your dad would want in on the arrangements, er, he is the one gotta marry her."

"They *are* married Ranma, she *is* his wife. She may have died but she is back. What is your problem with this?"

Ranma gulped, "Er, okay, get em married, but does she have to be a Saotome?" He gulped again as her narrowed eyes watched him silently as the clock on her wall ticked away ominously.

"The promise," Nabiki said finally, and the eyes softened. Ranma didn't know anything but martial arts so it was easy enough to sort his priorities. The way he flinched confirmed her conclusion. "Did you think of this yourself?"

"Ah, Ukyo pointed it out. Shampoo was there too."

The girl's smirk turned amused as she recalled Shampoo's encounter with her mother at the markets. "Okay, run along, I'll see if I can't find an alternative."

She refocused on him as he didn't move, "What?"

"I just, er, why are you being so helpful?"

She rolled her eyes, in part at herself at his question, then turned her business like manner on him. "Ranma, I'll answer that but I'll need you to do me a little favor?"

The blue eyed boy frowned, this was more like the Nabiki he knew but it was still more favorable from her than he was used to. "Okay," he said slowly.

"Would you do anything to make your mother ashamed of you?"

Ranma nodded, visibly relaxing. "Okay, I can get that. This mean no more pictures of me half d..." The blue eyes opened real wide, as he sucked in his breath, his brain caught up to yet another consequence of his recent cure.

"Not one word," Nabiki commanded as she looked at him angrily, her scowl deepening as she quickly saw he was holding back laughter not words. "This brings us to that little favor."

Reaching under her bed she brought out some dark clothes which she tossed at him, letting him unravel material to reveal the very dark brown material of the classic ninja outfit. "I need you to drop by Kuno's place and get a few pictures back for me."

--

Soun Tendo squatted in the alley outside the Tendo's wall as the night chilled around him. 'Why oh why couldn't the boy have kept his problem out of his family'.

He shook himself, overpowering his self-wallowing of the situation by firmly reminding himself how the boy's situations almost always solved themselves and returned to a steady baseline he could handle.

His thoughts where pushed aside as he saw his future son-in-law climbing out of his second daughter's window and up to the roof. He couldn't make out what the boy was grumbling but he was putting on a dark outfit he recognized as being like that of the short ninja who occasionally spied on his family for the wealthy boy from Nabiki's school class. Once dressed, the hooded and masked Ranma ran and jumped from the roof, Soun moving as quietly as possible to watch him jumping off away over the rooftops, making sure his daughters and the boy's red haired cursed body hadn't sent the Ranma to find him and bring him home.

The elder Tendo calmed as the boy vanished into the distance, only to tense again as he heard someone approaching his hiding place, and with a rush he moved to hide, knocking over a bin in the process.

"Who's there?" Demanded a breathy female voice, "Show yourself, delinquent?"

Soun stuck his head out, seeing the leggy brunet in an overly tight dress, his eyes widening as he recognized Akane's friendly school teacher. He quickly mulled over if he should reveal himself or keep hiding, but ran out of time to decide as the woman raised a coin and shouted out words.

Hinako smiled darkly as she saw the shadow in the ally move again and brought her coin to bare, "Happo-goen-satsu!" She smiled as she felt the rush of battle aura bled off the target to feed into her, and the figure collapse out from where he was hiding.

With a frown she looked at the downed man and stepped over to him, her steps becoming a rush as she recognized the very man she was coming to see. "Oh no, Soun-chan!"

The powerless and crumpled form of the elder Tendo looked up at the woman before passing out.

--

Walking into the kitchen, Nabiki eyed Akane and the two mothers working away there, "Ranma won't be on time for dinner, he's running a little errand for me. Can you keep him a plate in the oven for him?"

Kimiko nodded as Akane eyed her up, "What's he doing, Sis?"

"Fixing a mistake," she said with a light flush, recalling Ranma's controlled laughing at her problem with her mother's appearance in so many photos she had sold over the year. Her eyes narrowed on Akane, "Oh, and keep some desert for him away from his father, he deserves a treat. He'll never admit it but he put an end to some plan of Ukyo and Shampoo's to break your engagement to him."

Akane blinked as her sister enigmatically left, the idea of her fiancé protecting the engagement to her over Shampoo and Ukyo running around her head as the mothers smiled at her back.

--

"Ow ow ow ow!" Ranma hissed under his breath as he rubbed his fist, then sucked on the knuckles. He had hoped to slip into the Kuno estate without incident, but when a net landed on his head he knew he was in trouble. Three traps and a midget ninja later, he was ready to enter. He glanced darkly at Sasuke on the ground with a bruise forming on his forehead, and at the cracked statue in an identical outfit Ranma had punched first.

Moving towards the building, he saw the open window, faint traces of steam wafting out, his mind trying to recall the layout of the building, hoping it was Kuno's bathroom. When he jumped to the window he realized he was wrong - the tiling of black rose flowers on gleaming white, the small private furo filled with steaming water holding floating black rose petals, and several large framed pictures of himself, often working out without his shirt on...  
Still, these were photos that he didn't really want here either.

Kodachi Kuno smiled at her reflection in the mirror as she brushed her long black hair. Her minds eye recalled the adoring gazes of the boys from St Bachus Boys School who had visited for the day for dancing classes with the girls. All trying to impress her, to get her attention, to curry her favor. They were so simple, like pets. Her mind quickly put the mindless adoration into the perfect blue eyes of her one true love as he appeared on the larger than life image on the wall.

Snatching up a black rose, she took a kneeling pose and gazed up at the poster of that poor but perfect boy with the cocky grin that she had given her heart too.

"Oh why! Why must I wait for my beloved to see the harlots belittle and punish him while I stood in my beautiful dress!" she beseeched, referring to the black wedding dress she wore to Ranma's failed wedding. "Though we let those commoners host it, I know in your heart it was to be my wedding darling, why didn't you stand beside ME, beloved Ranma darling!"

The tears pouring down her cheeks stopped like a switch had been flicked as she stood and moved towards her bathroom door, "Time for a bath."

–

Inside the steam filling the private bathroom of Kodachi Kuno, a ninja dressed Ranma was busily collecting framed photos of himself, most less than fully dressed, but at least all male. Unfortunately they had been rather firmly attached to the wall with heavy frames.

"Time for a bath."

Hissing a curse, the ninja silently flipped the stack of frames out the window and shut it to somewhat cover the crashing clutter hitting the ground outside, before leaping straight up to use his limbs to brace himself in the corner, his eyes watched the door handle turn and open for Kodachi Kuno.

Humming to herself, Kodachi smiled indulgently at the hot furo as she smelled the essence of her black roses in the steam of the room, her hand pushing the door closed behind her. Placing her bucket, overflowing with a selection of soaps and shampoo bottles, beside the tap and basin, she reached to undo the knot of her robe, then putting her hands on the lapels to disrobe.

The dark figure dropped in front of her, hands gripping hers, forcing them to keep the robe closed. Her reflexes caught up, her black ponytail sticking straight up in fright as she gulped a breath, his hand covering her mouth before she could scream.

"Er, hey, sorry 'bout this. I kinda hoped to slip by ya, but ya closed the door too quick for me to sneak out. I'll just go and you can have ya bath. See ya."

With quick steps, the ninja left the scared girl in the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Ranma smirked under the cover of his ninja mask as he realized that what could have become a fiasco of him peaking on Kodachi and him getting beat to a pulp by her and later Akane, he had gotten out of it real lightly. Quickly moving to grab move pictures from this room too, he clucked his tongue at the image of Akane standing frozen like Kodachi had.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!"

"Crap..." At the belated scream, the ninja clad intruder rushed for the bedroom doorway, ducking at the last moment to narrowly avoid the wooden sword piercing the door, cutting its way in.

"Sister, I come to save you!"

--

"That way, Hibiki-san."

"Oh, sorry, it's just all so..." Ryoga's voice trailed off at the frown from the unusually dressed foreigner woman. He had gotten lost in taking her to the dojo. Then he had nearly gotten lost six times in following her back to where they had met which was definitely not impressing the girl. It was very much like Kasumi's frown after he had turned off a main road in Osaka, and walked into her drying laundry, for the third time...

Arriving beside the wall of the Kuno mansion, Belldandy looked directly at Ryoga. "Hibiki-san, may I use your memories to find the Tendo dojo?"

"Huh?"

Gently, she reached up to his face, laying slender fingers on his forehead. "I want you to think of the Tendo Dojo, think of how it looks. The house, the dojo, the windows, the wall, the gate..."

-Crash-

"Stand and fight cretin, your vile plot to ruin my sister is over, thy life is forfeit."

"Hohohohohohoho, Die perverted monster!"

-Crash-

The pair outside the ancestral Kuno family ground's wall broke at the noises from within, wondering what had set off the residence, Belldandy pulling her mind back from Ryoga at the commotion, hearing another voice inside the compound.

"I wasn't here for her, I left before she took off the robe because I ain't a pervert!"

The sounds of further attacks and collateral damage came from within the walls, covering the murmurings of the strange girl beside Ryoga even as he stepped up to the wall. Summoning the spirits of the wind, Belldandy's clothes rippled and she flew gently up, carried over the wall by the wind, coming down at the edge of the pond inside the Kuno compound.

Ranma dodged a group of thrown Gymnastics clubs as he ran towards the wall between him and escape from this loony bin. All he needed now was his pursuer's father, Principal Kuno to jump out with exploding pineapples and he'd have the set.

Even as he said it he saw a figure coming over the wall and cursed his luck, hoping confusion would keep this new comer out of the fight, but as he reached the wall and focused to spring up...

"Bakusai Tenketsu!"

-Bang-

The wall shattered in, the pigtailed martial artist taking the brunt of it as he back pedaled, but just as he got clear, he saw the heavy set figure following through the smoke. He dodged to the side as Ryoga ran into the compound.

"Where's this pervert!?"

Even as Ryoga passed him, Ranma felt the black ribbon wrap around him, binding his arms to his chest, yanking the ninja dressed intruder from bare inches of escape through Ryoga's entrance hole, and throwing him back across the yard into a Kendo practice dummy.

"Hohohohohoho, you can't escape the Kuno clan so easily, my brother shall teach you...Ranma Darling?"

Ranma stood uneasily, dazed from the impact, but managed to dodge Kuno's first swing, unaware he had lost his ninja mask to Ryoga's blast.

"Oh my, could someone please tell me where the demon is?" Belldandy asked hesitantly, surprised by the violence of this world.

Kodachi got over her astonishment that the gentleman intruder was her beloved, now realizing that he was simply protecting her reputation by wearing such a mask to visit her. 'Oh, he cares so much for me', she thought with a sigh, her hands opening and dropping the heavy robe she wore revealing her habitual leotard. Her eyes immediately identified the three disturbances to her and Ranma's alone time, her brother, the dirty wanderer in the bandanna, and the foreign woman near Mr Turtle's pond.

Ranma dodged another strike from the kendoist when suddenly the swordsman was lashed by his sister's ribbon, tossing him bodily across to slam into Ryoga. At the same time, his twisted sister blew on a whistle.

The Black Rose smiled at him indulgently when she saw Ranma looking at her, and posed for him. "Wait but a moment, my paramour, and we shall be alone. It isn't his feeding time, but much like you, he's always hungry."

Still trying to comprehend what was going on, Belldandy winced as the thrown swordsman fell away from Ryoga who stood unmoved from the impact of the boy. She was pretty sure the human body didn't fold that way. She looked up as she saw the black clad pig-tailed boy rushing towards her, and for an instant thought he was going to attack her, but his aura rang out not with aggression but concern.

Focusing, Ranma pushed his legs to sprint, seeing the ripples, diving forward to grab the girl and spring upwards from the water behind the girl. Aiming his jump under the tree branches over the pond but still to the wall beyond it, he readied if she was heavier that she looked to run up the wall to safety.

The giant alligator pet of Kodachi Kuno surged from the pool at the large meal standing at the edge of its ponds. Some part of its instinct was whispering that this woman was not food, but among all the whisperings in the mind of the insane pet of the Black Rose, it was barely heard. Its teeth snapped on air as black covered legs blurred before it, carrying the meal away and up.

'Wow, she's light?' was all Ranma got to think before his head slammed into the lowest branches of the tree over the pond, his impossibly light cargo floating onwards, up to the wall. His jump too vertical for the weight, his head hooked the branch, turning him up before gravity brought him down in the pool.

The alligator surged forward as dinner splashed in its pond, the black clad meal getting to its feet in the waist deep water even as the pet surged to bite it.

-crunch-

Two feet slammed the gator's mouth shut, a hand grabbing the pigtailed boy by the neck, and launching off the sinking animal and up to the wall.

Shaking his head, Ranma focused on the hand holding him up by the throat, "Hey, Ryoga. Good timing man."

"Why aren't you a girl?" the lost boy growled.

Shaking her head, Belldandy was really becoming concerned about this world.

Shaking her head, Kodachi shrugged, knowing that were she a man, she would be asking the gods themselves why that perfect man was not a she for her to be with.

"Er, yeah, bout that, Akane cured me and..."

"Akane? Cured? You?"

Some part deep inside Ranma suddenly wondered if one could throw more than one ki blast at once by using different emotions, because he was pretty sure Ryoga was there right now. Some other part of him was telling him to be out of Ryoga's reach when he told the lost boy that it may have been a 'fluke' cure and unrepeatable.

"HOW?!" The lost boy demanded as he squeezed Ranma's throat.

Some gurgles came from Ranma's mouth as he began to turn blue, but Belldandy heard it. "A wish?"

The blue-faced boy nodded at her, even as the goddess seemed overly happy.

"CAN SHE DO IT AGAIN?!" Ryoga demanded.

Even before Ranma gurgled, Belldandy frowned. "Oh dear, I hope not..."

Only Kodachi heard Belldandy explaining how that would be bad as the first wish was illegal and in violation of Heaven's code. Ranma focused more on the mutterings of the lost boy still strangling him.

"The world is a dark and lonely place." Struggle as he might, Ryoga's grip was iron. "SHI SHI HOKODAN!"

--

By the time Belldandy came back from being blown off the wall by the blast, she found Mr Turtle and a black piglet unconscious, floating in the pond, while Kodachi was in a similar state on the grass, her brother still out nearby.

"Oh my, now how will I find the Tendo Dojo?" she asked herself, unaware that a limping man in the tattered remains of a ninja outfit was dragging a pile of framed and loose photos of a himself and a pig tailed red haired girl towards that very place on the other side of the building.

--

"Soun-chan? Wake up Soun-chan?"

Gently opening his eyes, Soun Tendo wearily looked around the messy apartment, before finally locking onto the gorgeous brunette in lingerie and holding a fish bowl seated across from him.

"You, you're Akane's teacher, aren't you?"

"That's right Soun-chan, I'm Hinako Ninomiya. Now I don't want you to worry, when you're ready, we'll make sure that red haired hussy doesn't come between us," she said breathlessly.

Soun Tendo only just realized that he was tied to a chair in his shorts before lethargy overtook him again.

To be continued...  
Special thanks to MwhaleK, Paul Henkel, Rosedreams, Jamison Whithehead, Wheedle1, tendoakane3, and Sakurabana for proof reading and plot inspiring.

Thanks for reading and please review.


	5. Chapter 5

Wish you never left - Chapter 5

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi and her licensees (Viz Communications in North America). This work is strictly for the non-profit enjoyment of fans. No copyright infringement is intended.

Last updated: 12/09/09

"We're late, Akane!"

"I'm coming!"

"Me too!"

Nodoka smiled as Ranma finally got out the door towards school. Akane and Nabiki, one as normal dragging him out and the latter normally departing much earlier, chasing behind.

Closing the door behind them, the dark haired woman sedately returned to the main room, reaching for empty breakfast plates that now adorned the table.

"Oh I just got through telling Kasumi to leave that to me, Nodoka, please?" The red haired Kimiko said exasperatedly.

The older woman shook her head, "I'm sorry Kimiko but I missed doing this for ten years for my son and husband, I need to do it as much as you do. You could always go and find your husband if you let Kasumi and I handle the chores."

The mischievous smile reached Kimiko's blue eyes. "I never could catch him in a race. He'll come home and I'll catch him then. And I enjoy taking care of my family too."

Around the corner, in the hall, Kasumi sighed at the light banter, wondering what she was going to do with her day.

---

The running girl looked back over her shoulder at Nabiki and Ranma lagging behind, as they approached the school gates with but minutes to spare. "Come on slow pokes," she called with a slight smile, amused that Ranma had gotten splashed by the little old lady with the ladle that wet down out the front of her house each morning. There was something nice in that some things hadn't changed despite the fact that he was still male, no longer cursed to change his gender.

Nabiki glared at her sister, and Ranma didn't even bother with that. Even as he flapped his shirt to get it dry, he still looked tired from when he had arrived home last night and helped the middle sister crush, grind, and burn a tall stack of pictures he had re-appropriated. When asked how it went he said in an exhausted voice something about Ryoga, Crocodiles, and feather-light women and then seemed on the verge of exhaustion till they were done.

His blue eyes barely held open, Ranma ran with his bag in one hand and Nabiki's in the other as they reached the school, but he straightened and slowed as he saw Kuno standing in the way looking furious, weapon at the ready. He didn't even try to catch up when Akane took the lead towards the kendoist.

"Kuno-sempai, please get out of our way? We don't have time for your interfering!" she cried as she led with a kick but was caught off guard as the boy didn't block or take the blow, but stepped aside, his eyes on Ranma.

"Silence Akane-chan, for though it is soothing to hear your words of love, I must punish this foul miscreant for far harsher crimes!" He stabbed his wooden blade at the pigtailed boy, "Saotome! Your dishonorable cavorting with my incorrigible sister in my own domicile warrants a wrath of destruction upon you, but know this! I am aware of your heinous plot to give the irrepressible pig-tailed girl to the father of the fiery Akane, and I will not tolerate it! The sweet Akane will be freed of your vile clutches, as will the pig tailed-girl and your twisted damage to her full red tresses will become a memory when both are safe in my embrace!"

He charged forth to slay his nemesis, bokken held high.

Wearily Ranma dodged the first swing and kicked, holding himself on one leg as he held his other foot against Kuno's stunned face. He handed Nabiki her bag and tossed his to Akane, before pulling back and letting the kendoist stumble past. "Look man, give it up, I'm tired. I didn't do nothing to your sister, I don't want ya sister. As for Akane and ..." he yawned heavily, distorting several words nonsensically.

Steading himself, Kuno readied to attack again, but Nabiki came between the young men. "Kuno-baby, what Ranma is trying to say is that he has lost control of the pigtailed girl. In fact all of Ranma's black magic that he got in China is gone. She broke free of him and is now a whole new woman, but she is in love with my father. In fact, my father asked her to marry him and she accepted. Right Ranma?"

"Yeah," he chirped, amazed how she twisted Kuno speak and past events out of context to lead the upperclassman to what she wanted to do.

Shaking with rage, Kuno's eyes lost focus as he tried to comprehend it all. Finally he looked back at Akane and then at Nabiki, "Saotome has lost all his dark sorcery? He is powerless?"

"No more Chinese magic, anyway."

He dove towards Akane, "You are free, come to my arms!"

And got hooked back at the neck by a straight arm from Ranma.

Nabiki moved to Kuno and looked down at him before he could get up, "Kuno, Akane isn't under Ranma's control anymore, in fact, she controls him and makes him stand in your way. Do you think she could ever accept a date with you if you can't beat Ranma in a formal challenge? Right Akane?"

Akane frowned at first, looking around to who was watching, but then nodded and went with it, looking to Ranma then back at Kuno, "That's right, a formal and honorable challenge."

Kuno's eyes showed he understood, what he understood really was anyone's guess but that was another matter. He turned to the tired Ranma, "You do what the sweet Akane says and have no power of your own over her?"

The refute was in Ranma's eyes but held from his mouth by yet another emerging yawn. When he saw Nabiki behind Kuno gesturing towards Akane he looked to the shorter girl, who smiled slyly.

"You may answer Kuno-sempai, Ranma-kun."

Rolling his eyes, it was the nodding of Nabiki that finally convinced him to just go with it. "Yeah, whatever, she can boss me around."

The ringing of the school bell stopped any replies from Kuno as the students ran for their class rooms, eager not to be last.

---

In his lethargy, Ranma was still the last to class but followed Akane and others in and to their seats, the child form of their home room teacher, Hinako Ninomiya, was writing on the board, her back to the students.

Akane's face was still red from a comment by Sayuri as they walked to class about 'what she ordered Ranma to do at night?' That was exactly what she wanted to avoid people thinking about between her and him. Akane didn't even notice the teacher's bright smile when she turned around to face the class, her face made up more than usual. She even missed the strange perkiness in the child's voice of the woman as she addressed the class.

"Good morning class."

"Good morning Ms Hinako."

"Mr Saotome, please come to the front of the class?"

Yawning, the boy in question pushed up from his chair and moved to the front of the class. "What's up teach?"

The teacher's bright smile twisted darkly. "You were late, stand in the hall with the buckets."

"Huh, I wasn't the only..."

"Happo gohen satsu!" The teacher cried, her form expanding as the tired boy tried to react, pulling his battle aura in tight even as it was stripped towards the coin his teacher held.

Akane and several others got to their feat as Ranma shifted, trying to withhold his battle aura from her attack, her other arm shifting up with the larger fifty yen coin. "Ms Hinako! What are you doing?" the youngest Tendo shouted.

The now older woman looked to Akane, her long hair shifting back gracefully at the movement, as she gently smiled. "Just punishing a delinquent, Daughter. Ranma-chan needs to learn a lesson."

Several students raised eyebrows at the change in address, other students noticing the subtle changes that were less obvious on the child form of the statuesque beauty, namely her neat makeup, the comb delicately holding back her hair, the new dress, that while just as tight, the beautiful material cut to better enhance her natural beauty. A few of the male students noted the touches of black lace around her neckline and the top of her stockings.

Turning back, Hinako Ninomiya noticed the target of her attack had vanished, charging to the door to yank it open and pursue the pigtailed boy, abandoning her class.

---

The pale foreign girl in the blue dress was still wandering when she caught half a Chinese curse, enough to make her blush, but to Belldandy's surprise, the male voice she had heard was replaced by the quacking of a duck.

Turning, she saw said duck, a rather beautiful white fowl, struggling out of a set of white robes. Finally the animal's head appeared, rather oddly wearing glasses, the animal throwing a definite glare at the little old lady in a nearby gateway.

Though the little old lady faced away, ignoring the animal as it began to drag its robes away, showing no sign of noticing what had happened to the eyes of a mortal, but to the goddess, the amusement rolling off the elderly woman in the kimono was shining bright.

Stepping up, Belldandy's clothes rippled with power, the little old lady with the ladle suddenly aware of her presence, a small triangle between her eyes glowing to the goddesses vision, while the three marks shining on Belldandy's face made the old woman pale.

---

Kasumi frowned as her red haired and younger looking mother entered another fabrics and crafts store.

The brown haired girl was slightly annoyed that Nabiki had apparently opened up the house budget to their returned mother. She did have to replenish her wardrobe, but either Nabiki had been shaving the budget tighter than needed, or she was giving mother money out of her college savings. Then again with how close Akane and Nabiki were now to mother she doubted either girl would be applying for higher education outside of the Tokyo area.

With a sigh, she stayed outside with the bags from previous shops, her thoughts a jumble still, using the excuse of the small size of the store, with a few shoppers already crowded in, looking at bolts of rather pricey silks and cloth.

Giving another sigh, Kasumi leaned against the wall, trying to understand what her mother was buying. So far she had thought it was to make her own outfit, but she had bought several already, and also some pieces of jewelery. It was the jewelery that worried her most about the budget. The golden anklet with tiny bells was cute, but why she had to buy four of them from the Middle Eastern store to replace hers made no sense. Her lips pursed as she wondered about how quiet the ankle bells were while the redhead walked.

"Excuse me miss? Does this bus go past any love hotels?"

Kasumi couldn't help but blush at the sudden question as a greasy haired young man, muscles bulging from a tight sleeveless shirt tucked into blue jeans. She only started to shake her head as he touched her cheek, trying to keep her gaze with his rather ordinary brown orbs.

"Come on cutie, you dress all trim and proper, but let 'The Tak' show you how to bring out…"

"Kasumi-chan?"

Stepping out of the store, Kimiko nearly missed seeing her daughter, hidden by the large man standing over the demure young woman.

Tak stepped back, eyes dragging over the red head with a smirk. "Hey there, we were just talking about hitting someplace more private. If you two are close there is enough 'Tak' to go round," the greasy man said, referring to himself in the third person, with a jerk of his thumbs back at his broad chest.

"Kasumi, do you know this man?"

Red faced, the twenty year old shook her head feeling like she was a child again, "No mother."

Sleazy eyes looked between one and the other, "If you're claiming you're her mother Red, you are one Milf I gotta hit."

Kimiko had no idea what that label meant and was sure she didn't want to. Waiting for the sound of passing bus on the road to fade, she glared at the insolent punk as he approached her, now ignoring her daughter. "If my husband heard you talk like that, you'd already be begging forgiveness."

Tak smirked, wiggling his fingers, "I don't see no ring baby, your husband not satisfying enough for you to be proud to wear it?"

With a crack, Kimiko's hand gripped one of his, squeezing force making him take a knee in pain.

A whipping of the tiny legs of a little old man sent a kick into the head of Tak, flipping him away from the red head as Happosai landed before her. "Take a hike punk, I know how this little girl likes to be handled."

Ignoring the horrified look on Ranma-chan's face, the aged master and founder of Anything Goes Martial Arts wiggled his fingers like 'The Tak' had moments before, this time a lacy pink bra hanging between them. "Nice change in style Ranma-chan, but it is time your Master taught you there is more to being a girl that a blouse and skirt."

"Happosai! You, you're alive!"

"Oh please student, I'm not going to die before I see you in a bra!" the ancient gnome cackled, diving forward, his lecherous grin not fading as the red head swayed aside rather than defending harder, his fast fingers deposited the pink lace bra in the girls hands even as he stole from her, the old man landing with the blouse the girl had been wearing.

"Better cover up R… oh my god, Ranma you do love your master!"

The pristine white bra, back strap evenly across the back, nipple line held comfortably directly between shoulder and elbow, shoulder straps not digging into her creamy flesh… the old man openly wept at the beauty of his Ranma-chan wearing a properly fitted bra.

"Soun said you were dead and buried?" Kimiko demanded, tossing the pink bra to her daughter, even as her hand dived into one of the bags before dropping it, yanking out a length of purple silk longer than she was tall.

His eyes on the bra, Happi was beyond words as he drooled out a, "Hotcha!" and sprang forwards.

Flicking the silk wrap at her attacker, Kimiko, ignored the growing crowd of onlookers to swing her body down and around, her leg flicking up to catch the old man in the side of the head, ankle bells ringing loudly with the blow. "Eight Bells Sing, they toll for you!" she cried her attack.

Happi shook his head trying to clear it of the ringing of the blow and bells, looking back at the red head on the curb with narrowed eyes, her actions too sure to be a new technique the boy learned. Her arms weaved, the bra still visible even as the silk length became a wrap around her chest and upper arms, stomach exposed even as her hips rolled in a unique ready stance he hadn't seen in over a decade. The glinting of light off the silent bells on the anklet made him look deeper at the ki of the woman, not believing what he was seeing. "Kimiko!"

It was about then that standing on the road became an issue as a bus hit the old freak.

The danger gone, and most of the gawkers looking away when she stared back at them, Kimiko quickly picked up her discarded bag and blouse, Kasumi doing the same, still surprised at her mothers actions.

"Come along Kasumi-chan, I need to speak with your father," the red head said in a quiet cold voice.

---

Breathing hard, Akane bent forward with her hands on her knees after running from the school, or more specifically leading her fiancé away from their dangerous home room teacher.

The battle aura draining beauty had searched the school after the delinquent Saotome, who was only a delinquent today because he fled class when attacked. All had been quiet till lunch when she had found him again, a running battle with extreme property damage, including the destruction of the rear wall of the boy's gym showers, much to the embarrassment of the senior boys class using it at the time. As much as she appreciated Yuka and Sayuri's enjoyment of the view, she didn't ever want to see that much of Upperclassman Kuno.

"Wow, she is upset with me today," Ranma complained, rolling his shoulder, stretching his back, his shirt dirty and ripped in places. "Running away is a much better idea than getting between her an' me, but why did ya drag me all the way out here?"

Still taking deep breaths, Akane frowned as he blushed badly, but she shook off wondering what stupid idea was in that lump he called a brain. "Weren't you listening when I interfered, she called me daughter again. She said she 'had Daddy'. Come on."

Ranma looked disappointedly at the love hotel they had stopped in front of as Akane led them away from it.

"He must be tied up at her apartment," she said with a trace of anger.

---

Clad in a pink dressing gown, Soun Tendo watched the television from his seat, unable to change the channel. His eyes scanned the room again while waiting for the advertisements to finish and start the next show, looking at the mess littering the room, even after his host had done a cursory clean up.

He idly scratched his nose, wondering if he should get up and clean some and maybe find the remote to the TV so he could look for other channels, but it wouldn't do to move things from where the owner, that sweet teacher of Akane and Ranma's, from where she left them in her home, he contemporized. He idly considered calling Kasumi to come over, but if his daughter's fiancé's cursed body answered it would be weird and awkward.

"Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry…"

The repeating chanting of the name over sub par opening credit graphics heralded the beginning of another subtitled American television show. The title meant nothing to him, nor did the cry of the crowd from chanting one silly sounding foreigner name to a single cry of another, "Steve!" as a bald man came on stage.

But despite the odd appearance, the entrance on the screen of a short haired girl with too many piercings, as the host, Jerry, asked her of the problems she had come on the show with. The girl spoke of her boyfriend, who had proposed to her, and because of her interfering parents, almost married but the ceremony had been interrupted and stopped.

He missed some of the story trying to figure out why the young woman was upset with their parents pushing them to marry, whatever 'living in sin' meant, but he caught up, sitting forward with interest when Jerry introduced one of the other girls who interrupted the wedding.

A pretty dark skinned girl with blond hair in tight rows and braids, came in claiming the young man was hers, the fast speaking of English made for equally fast and confusing strings of kanji across the bottom of the screen trying to keep up with people talking over each other or the audience chants, the girls trying to fight, neither with skill though the short-haired girl got a good right cross in, the black shirted security weakly keeping the pair apart, clothes of the girls stretched or raised in the action but any titillation covered by pixelization.

The introduction of a second girl made Soun lean in further, this one long haired, who claimed the boy at the center of this mess had proposed to her first, was met by more censored beeps, yelling at each other, and poor fighting. The next addition of the boy in question, a heavy built young man with blue eyes and numerous tattoos, lead to more fighting, both latter girls trying to get past the bouncers as the short-haired one kissed him, actually climbing on him to the jeers of the crowd. Unable to reach their man both rivals then turning on each other for more fighting.

With an open mouth, Soun watched as Jerry moved among the guests and security, questioning them about why they have done this or that, and why they pursued the boy when he declared he wanted only the one of them.

Finally Jerry turned to the couple, both with defiant eyes Soun found so familiar, asking them how they thought they could resolve things.

With a flash the TV turned off.

Soun slid off the edge of his seat to the floor, before rushing to bang it on the top of the set, desperate to make it work, not realizing the sound of the fridge and air-conditioner had stopped too.

With a click, the apartment door swung open.

"…and without power, the alarm doesn't trigger."

"Ranma, I don't want to know how you learned about security alarms," Akane said, rushing into the apartment, focused on rescuing her father and not her fiancé's unsavory upbringing.

Tragically, she had hoped to find her father in more need that wearing a pink dressing gown while crying on the floor.

Ranma stepped back, knowing the blue aura coming off his fiancé was anger, and even if not focused on him, it was best to be out of reach.

"Get dressed Daddy, you're coming home."

"But daughter…"

---

Sipping at the delicious tea, Belldandy controlled herself at the surprise. "There are several of these Jusenkyo victims in this area?"

Conversing with the retired Monsoon spirit, first class, was certainly enlightening. The little old lady had retired when her granddaughter had taken over the seasonal heavy rains, modern weather spirits a different breed in having to deal with the evolving mankind anyway, but she had been asked by Heaven to stay around Asia in case needed in the future.

From what she said the Tendo dojo sure seemed to be the center of chaos in this suburban area.

"Oh yes," the retired monsoon spirit cackled. "Ah, the duck, a cat, a panda bear, a pig, those are regulars. My favorite though, the boy who turned into a girl. Today the curse was gone in him. I splashed him anyway, but I'm going to miss him, the other's hated it, the panda never cared, but that boy, even if he was angry when it happened, never an angry word, or threat. Very polite. A good kid. A spirit like that is who my grand daughter should be seeing."

Belldandy nodded, then recalled last night. "A young man with dark hair, braided in the back?"

"That's the one."

Belldandy smiled, "This is delicious tea."

---

"But Akane…"

It was the fourth 'But Akane', interspersed through a larger number of combined 'But Daughter', 'But Son', But Ranma' and 'But Children', followed by at best gibberish from the crying man about why he couldn't go home yet. All of which failed to make Ranma undo the binding ropes around the Tendo patriarch, currently slung over Akane's fiancé's shoulder as they walked in the afternoon sun.

Rolling her eyes again at her father's silly behavior, Akane opened the gate to the Tendo home, holding it for Ranma and his cargo to pass before closing it behind them. Her brown eyes looked over her fiancés broad shoulders easily lifting her father's weight, imagining from memory the muscles under the material….

Shaking her head of such thoughts, she moved to follow her fiancé when both heard the distinctive ki shout followed by the crash of breaking bricks in the dojo. Ranma turned, his blue eyes and her fathers both looking at her, then back at the dojo.

"Think that's ya Mom? Sounds like you do," he said idly, before moving off the path and onto the grass around the side of the house towards the dojo entrance.

"I…I don't remember if Mom did break bricks," she whispered, feeling a pang of loss for something she felt she should remember. Both teens progressed, ignoring the struggling man Ranma carried, babbling as he found another echo of his lost wife shoved in his face.

The young red head looked up from the large pile of shattered blocks with an angry scowl, lessoning for the sight of her youngest daughter and the young man she needed to talk to about the art. But the sight of her terrified husband bound on his shoulder made her lips smile even as her face turned rather ugly.

"Husband, remind again how you buried your late Master?" she asked huskily.

Soun's face ran through his cascading emotions, panic at the person claiming to be his wife, confusion over her strange question, defeat as he knew the only master he knew to be buried had crawled his evil way back into his life and house, the happiness of the memory of his smiling wife when he told her he had buried Happosai… and panic if his wife found out Happosai was still alive and living in their home.

A breeze gusted by the three teenagers in the dojo door as the ropes fell empty, a blur crawling across the yard and over the wall in a flash. The two girls gave a sigh, Ranma a more manly huff.

"I just brought him back here."

"We, Ranma, we just brought him back."

Rolling her blue eyes, Kimiko turned to the pair, eying Akane's school uniform and Ranma's Chinese style shirt and slacks. "Soun-chan can wait, maybe this will scare some sense into him and he will come back and face me. But that is for later, right now, Ranma, may I ask you a favor?"

His hand pretty quickly found the back of his head, rubbing it awkwardly. "Ah, sure?"

A smile tugged at the short red heads lips as her eyes darted away from the cute teen, flicking to her daughter, then back to Ranma, her hands tugging her training gi top down with her own nervous energy. "Ranma Saotome, I would like you to train me in your style of the art."

"Er, my style? I'm only really a student still…"

Akane's mouth fell open as her fiancé was considering training this girl when he didn't even help train her! It was only the clash between the ideas of 'new Ranma-chan' and 'Mother' that kept her from ranting or hitting the pigtailed boy.

"From what I have heard from my daughters, you're better than both my husband and your father in the art, and the simple fact is that this body has brought with it your speed and strength. I don't even know how strong I am right now when I punch, and I certainly don't want to let your fitness go to waste by not keeping up myself."

"Heh, I am pretty good. But I haven't really done a lot of training of others myself, and most of the way my Pop's teaches I wouldn't inflict on anyone."

Blinking her blue eyes in surprise, Kimiko frowned, "Oh? Nabiki said you sparred with Akane, I assumed… Daughter, is something wrong?"

Akane's blue aura and grinding teeth made Ranma step back, trying to be just a hair back from her reach with a hammer, but the girl in question didn't take her eyes of him as she spoke through bared teeth to her mother. "Ranma, has never trained me, never even offered to, only ever teasing me…"

Raising one eyebrow, Kimiko looked at her daughter, "Did you ever ask Ranma to train you?"

Her aura snapping off, Akane looked between her returned mother and fiancé, who was wisely looking at anything else but her. Her lips pouted. "Well… he… no." And it only took one look from her mother to finish the job. "Ah, Ranma, would you train me, too… please."

Ranma winced at the please, taking a long moment to nod. "Yeah, sure. Okay."

"Now that that's settled," Kimiko interrupted the two teens who wouldn't look at each other, "Why don't you two get changed and we can do some training before dinner?"

Akane dashed off inside, any excuse to escape the embarrassment of the situation.

"Pops always says to train in what you wear cause you never know when you gotta fight."

---

Panting, Soun looked back, visualizing the wall of his home, a mile away. Standing upright with a frown and stretching out his arms, he tried to think of another place to stay while whatever silly magic his future son in law brought home that made his cursed form think it was his wife, wore off.

Pursing his lip made his mustache ruffle as he considered returning to Akane's teachers domicile, but even if the young woman was a little forward, Soun didn't want to be seen coming and going, ruining her reputation with false allegations.

When the sudden panda paw landed lightly on his shoulder, the scared elder nearly jumped up a tree, but calmed down, reading the sign held by his oldest, dearest, most freeloading friend, he began to smile.

---

To be continued...

Special thanks to MwhaleK, Paul Henkel, Rosedreams, Jamison Whithehead, Wheedle1, tendoakane3, and Sakurabana for proof reading and plot inspiring.

Thank you for reading.

Trent O'Donoghue

PS: Gort420 - Nope. :P As always when left to my own devices, I write slowly.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi and her licensees (Viz Communications in North America). This work is strictly for the non-profit enjoyment of fans. No copyright infringement is intended.

Last updated: 23/10/09

Biting on another cracker, Nabiki's brown eyes watched as Ranma led two young women through another kata, mother and daughter each having control problems of very different kinds. The former was having control difficulties with her body, either going too far too fast, or not believing her instructor when he told her what to do, specifically things she didn't believe she could do.

The latter was grinding her teeth as she grimaced through a kata her new 'master' seemed to have thought up on the spot, most of which left her purposefully sprawling on the mats. While Akane humiliated herself, said master was working on her over endowed mother, his hands brushing her shoulders, waist and stomach, going on about 'breathing' and focus. Dark thoughts were starting to form a storm on his fiancée's face as Ranma paused from the red head to change Akane's current kata, the Saotome technique having her physically throw herself to the mat, and snap back up to her feet as quick as she can.

Shaking her head, Nabiki leaned to her elder sister also standing against the wall of the dojo watching the trio train. "He's embarrassed, he blushed touching Akane's arm, but can push Mom's backside in without thought."

Kasumi nodded, "And Akane's noticed."

"Yeah, but look at her face, she doesn't get why he isn't handling her as much. Four to one odds we hear a pervert cry before their done?"

"I'm more worried about her hurting Mother, or herself, if Ranma has them spar each other," Kasumi said with a touch of inevitable acceptance in her voice.

"True," Nabiki said pursing her lips, before she shrugged and called out to the training master. "Hey Master Ranma, I thought sparring would have been your favorite training method, like with your father?"

Four heads looked at Nabiki, but the older girl left her gaze on the new trainer.

Ranma shrugged. "Yeah, but I got no idea how good Mrs Tendo is compared to Akane for if it would be too much for either of them."

"But aren't you good enough to take them on at the same time?"

"Course I am, b…" he got that far before his body swerved around his fiancée's first kick, missing him completely.

"Come on Mom, let's show our 'master' his ego is bigger than his ability!" Akane stated with renewed enthusiasm.

"There, problem fixed," Nabiki said to the more buoyant Kasumi.

Kimiko frowned as she watched her grown up daughter's anger, and she looked for Ranma's reaction, slightly dismayed by it. The pigtailed boy stopped weaving, using one hand to defend against his fiancée, blocking her strikes, stepping back whenever Akane tried a power kick that might push his defense. That he had turned his head away from his shorter opponent just inflamed Akane more, but Kimiko could see he was goading her, his focus between herself and the floor, peripherally watching herself and Akane's shadow.

"Ranma, are you trying to keep my daughter angry when using the art?"

Akane's fist froze, her anger turning on the red head and was about to scream about not being angry, but something in her mother's blue eyes held her, and she flushed with embarrassment.

"Well, I don't know any other way to make someone control ya anger. Better she learns in here than in losing a real fight."

Seeing Kimiko's frown, Nabiki stood up, "Akane is just a little snappish when things don't make sense to her," she defended. As Akane's glare turned on her, she just smirked.

"And she doesn't get why Ranma is so shy to touch her even in training. With you Mom he is all professional, he'll just shove your butt in to straighten your form. With her, he likes nice safe words rather than risking liking his hands on his fiancée."

Straightening his shoulders, Ranma was about to rebut the implication, but suspicious eyes from Akane reminded him how there was probably no safe answer in this. It was the red headed Kimiko who defused the situation.

"Ranma-sensei, perhaps if you could not goad Akane for now, I will take over training her emotional control for now?"

"Nah, it's cool. I got it."

A snigger from Nabiki and a dark look from Kimiko made him glance away to Akane, her confused face not helping. He glanced back to try and explain better, "I mean, Akane, she's got plenty a power out of her anger, she's got to learn to control it, not turn it off and lose that power."

Akane wasn't sure if she should smile or get angry over Ranma's words, looking to the still frowning returned mother of the girl's.

"That's exactly what I plan to do Ranma-kun. The foundation in the special techniques of our families school, will help her better than pushing her till she breaks."

"Tendo family secret techniques?" Ranma inquired, Akane perking up beside him at the claim.

"Actually they come from my side of the family, and the main style I am afraid you can't learn. Well, men can learn it, but I'm not sure your mother would forgive me for teaching it to you."

Smiling slyly at his confused look, she shook her head. "How about we spar for a while, then you can leave me to teach my daughters?"

Frowning, Ranma tilted his head, "Daughters? Kasumi and Nabiki too? But they don't even do martial arts?" The two girls in question looked up at this.

"Let's just say it is a style that may inspire them back into the art," Kimiko said cryptically, even as she moved around Ranma, putting him between herself and her youngest daughter and giving Akane a meaningful nod.

Ranma just dodged clear of their first double team.

-

With a sigh, Ranma reluctantly shut the doors to the dojo, half tempted to stay and listen to the instruction on this Tendo family martial art, but the image of an Akane glared at him in his mind, with a smug Nabiki who'd probably trick him into admitting he spied. With a final thought of the disappointed faces of Kimiko and Kasumi should he be caught, he turned out into the grass of the yard.

"Having students was sure weird," he mulled to himself. Two hours of training had flown by, and though he didn't feel tired in his body, more like how mentally tired he felt over trying to learn his emotional ki attack, the Mokotakabisha. Moving to a punching dummy across the yard, he turned from his normal preferred target to the next one one, the one Akane used, with the fake pigtail attached. Moving in long slow steps, he flicked feather light punches, while looking it its blank face.

"Sensei," he told the dummy, frowning at the word. He said stuff, and the girl's listened and did stuff. Well most of the time, they just obeyed. Well Akane had resisted at times, especially at the start, having her mom doing what he said made Akane follow, and as it went on if he kept them busy enough she followed instruction without even thinking.

It was actually pretty cool. Like having the power of authority over them. His mind drifted into ideas of ordering Akane around in another setting, his cheeks getting pink before he shook his head. He flicked through recollections of many masters, some fun, some serious, and some, like his father or Happosai, who had power trips when in charge. He didn't want to be like them, but if he respected one thing about his old man, it was that he could teach the art.

Again doubt assailed him, wondering if he could be a teacher, and not just lead a class. But even as he threw a series of punches, each faster than the last, his eyes widened. It wasn't that he couldn't be an instructor, he doubted he was the master his Pops was.

As well as teaching him, which showed how good the old man really was as a teacher, Genma had invented training regimes, become a good fighter, and made moves for the school. Well he had stolen some no doubt, but he had created two branches that he had proved more powerful than any other he had seen in the Saotome School. Two schools that came naturally to the old criminal, but so strong he had actually had to seal them, for they were both dangerous and potentially corrupting, especially to an old thief like Genma Saotome.

The Yamasen-ken, or Thousand Mountain Fist, that equated its move to a bandit, storming in loud and destructive, and the Umisen-ken, or Thousand Ocean Fist, the moves of which based on a sneaking burglar, stealthy taking from the opponent.

He knew he could make his own special training regimes, and he could sure beat him in a fight, regularly. Now all he needed was his own branch school to beat these.

Still not really sweating, he shrugged and headed inside to the bath, his mind whirling with ideas.

-

"Okay girls, clothes off."

Three sisters blinked rather stupidly at their younger red headed mother who already had her gi top off. "Chop chop girls, we don't have all day, down to your underwear only."

Akane glanced to the door her fiancé had left through, then back at the red head, eyes suspicious, but as Nabiki then Kasumi followed suit, she swallowed. "Why do we have to do this naked? Is this something…"

"Perverted?" Nabiki supplied a little too amused, earning a glare, but her voice dropping some as she looked to her returned mother, "You sure this isn't a marital art, Mom?"

Placing her folded gi pants and top against the wall, clad in the plain white bra and pink hipster panties, Kimiko looked back at her middle daughter with an amused expression, "Like any martial art, its usefulness does extend beyond fighting."

Blushing at thoughts of moves she and Ranma knew being used… after marriage, Akane slowed in getting her pants off, then found an avenue of anger at her sister. "Nabiki, those are mine."

The middle sister glanced down at her unmentionables, seeing the blue panties her sister was mad about. "So what? We are sisters," she stated with a shrug. "And anyway, I remember when Ranma first saw you in these, didn't he say blue wasn't your color?"

Kimiko held up her hand, "Enough teasing girls," she said plainly, looking over Kasumi and Nabiki as Akane shyly took off her gi top to show the old worn yellow sports bra and brief white panties.

"Daughters, you have all grown up into fine young women. Goodness Kasumi-chan, that bust line must have come from Soun's side, I was, before this new body," she clarified with her hands pointing at her own chest, "I was about the same size as Nabiki-chan."

Nabiki smirked at her older sisters embarrassment at the compliment, missing Akane crossing her arms over her own chest, eyes down. Kimiko didn't, "Akane dear, you may not be so big but you're not flat, you're a beautiful young woman."

Still not looking up, Akane nodded slowly, "Yeah yeah, we're all so beautiful," she mumbled quietly in a down voice.

A huff made the youngest girl look up, Nabiki looking penetratingly, "Akane, you were always the most into sports and the art. Despite what Ranma says you haven't got enough fat to survive without food for a week. If you didn't have those abs and muscles I'd worry that you had an eating disorder, Sis."

"If anything dear," Kimiko spoke up, "I'd say you need to eat more and look a little healthier. It'd really help you fill out."

"Then Ranma will really be on about me being fat," Akane said, pinching a tiny bit of skin on her flank with a frown.

Kimiko's eyes flared, but Nabiki beat her to the punch on the truth of it all, "Are you still listening to the denials of your idiot fiancé? He'd eat your cooking before he'd compliment you, especially in front of anyone else. You want the truth of his feelings, don't listen to his big mouth."

"How degrading has Ranma been?"

Akane looked up as her mother's anger turned on her fiancé, Nabiki again laying it out, "He called her a lot of names, most all of them to get under her skin or to deny how he really feels. Uncute, unsexy, he says those a lot. Then again Akane tends to call him a dishonorable pervert so often I think she is trying to goad him into sneaking in her room again."

"He does not! I do not!"

"Oh give it a rest," Nabiki said smirking at her sisters anger, "I can prove he likes how you look Akane."

Akane seemed ready to call Nabiki on this claim, but Kimiko held up her hand. "Enough girls, we are losing time and what Ranma likes really is a distraction to the truth of my mothers style."

"Grandmother knew the art?" Akane asked, going with the change of topic.

"Your Grandmother was more gifted than me, and your Great Grandfather was even better. He was one of the trainers to Emperor Hirohito, and an advisor during the early days of the war. After the surrender, the government moved him to a diplomatic position, being sent to embassies in many countries with his wife and daughter."

"It was while in the Middle East, and Mother was entering puberty, she apparently crossed with local authorities, who thought her learning to fight was not appropriate. She still trained, generally in private, but, and I imagine like any teen, she rebelled against anyone telling her what to do," Kimiko's eyes narrowed on Akane with a teasing grin, "and when some of the embassy staff insisted she keep her practices in private only, she found an outlet that let her pursue her art from hiding."

Standing before the girls, she showed a pair of small castanets hidden in her hand, the small clappers impacting out a fast beat with deft moves of her fingers, her hips shimmying in time to the beat, raising her arms like snakes as her body undulated to in time.

Her eyes closing, the red head twisted her body in circles, faster and faster, her short hair wavering, arms undulating around her, her feet oddly silent though small charms on an anklet rang in counterpoint to the castanets. Her pale flesh glistening with sweat, Kimiko kept moving in the dance, rhythmic steps forward and back, round and round, hips and shoulders shimmying, stomach and back undulating, till finally the clapping wooden castanets reaching a crescendo, her hands and feet slapping the down on the wood floor.

Her body stooped in a bow at her daughters, Kimiko breathed deep heavy breaths before leaning up, blue eyes bright as she looked at her girls, smiling as Kasumi and then Nabiki clapped.

"Go Mom," the middle sister said, "Way to move that booty."

Kimiko shook her head gently, one hand wiping at the sweat on her face. "It's much deeper than that Nabiki-chan. It is about Ki."

"Ki?" Akane asked in a cool voice.

"Ki isn't just something of martial artists. Any discipline can touch such power. Many great artists or sportsmen and women touched on their ki in their work, and others have empowered all sorts of activities. When one is in touch with their center and can control their ki, they can change the world."

"Martial arts bellydancing can change the world?" Akane asked with all the enthusiasm of Ranma for algebra.

"The Tendo school of Martial arts Bellydance is undefeated daughter. Would you like to try to stop it?"

-

"So you understand, it is magic that is making my niece Ranko turn from you and pursue my friend Soun here," Genma said, outright lying in selling the story.

"Truely," Tatewaki Kuno said, sipping his tea and listening to the fat older man as he begged for the protection of the Kuno home.

Soun looked embarrassed at the easy lies of his friend, but his need for a safe place to hide was greater than his desire to call his old friend on things, mainly that the cursed form of his son was actually his sister's daughter.

"So if you let us hide out here for a week till this magic goes away, I'm sure my niece Ranko would be very thankful, and so would I as her guardian, if you catch my drift."

"I cherish that day," Kuno stated smiling, before his eyes narrowed on Genma. "But how is it you are her guardian? Wherefore are her parents?"

"Ah, very tragic story really, sleazy father abandoned her and her mother ended up in prison."

Kuno frowned before smiling. Such dishonor only made the choice of who to marry and who would be his mistress out of his fierce Akane and irrepressible Ranko so much easier.

-

"Are you ready Akane?" Kimiko asked, taking a casual stance before her daughter.

Suppressing a blush as the blue eyes appraising the stance of her half naked body used to be her fiancés, nodded and moved to a more open and aggressive stance. "Bring it!"

Kimiko shook her head ruefully as she closed the distance, shoulders rolling, the movement extending down as she dodged the first kick, stepping straight into Akane's reach, back arching to pass a punch. Undulating arms snaked out to block blows, Kimiko keeping close to Akane as she tried to pull back, her mother too close for her strongest blows.

The with the suddenness of a cobra strike, soft flowing blocks from one arm flicked out, her lower arm bashing the side of Akane's head, while a whipped pelvis brought both girl's hips in collision.

Pushed back hard, Akane stayed standing, shaking her head to clear the stars, painfully aware that the strike to the head was purposefully pulled, not in power, but extended to the surface of the red head's lower arm than the point of the elbow, which could have gone for the jaw, behind the ear, or the temple.

"Wow, this body is so fast," Kimiko said, glancing at her arms before worriedly at Akane. "Are you okay?"

Akane's humility returned to anger, "I'm not a China doll, I can take a shove like that. Don't you start holding back like Ranma does!"

A chuckle from Nabiki got Akane's attention, "You learn how to jiggle like Mom and I'm sure Ranma will hit you just as an excuse to put his hands on you, Sis? Now that you aren't shouting at each other he'll be looking at some way to get under all that skin your showing?"

A return glare faltered, Nabiki seeing the moment where Akane's brain escalated things, "I'd never be able to jiggle like your thighs Sis." Akane held her sisters cool gaze, knowing she had used a low blow and would pay for it later.

"Actually," Kimiko cut in, "Some jiggle is very nice when you dance for a special someone."

Akane huffed, grudgingly turning back to her mother. "So as a fighting style, its all very close in fighting, with fast elbows and knees, and hip shoves to keep them unbalanced?"

Kimiko grinned and began to shimmy her hips as she approached one of the training posts, on its stand near the wall. "Once you can feel your ki, you can move it in your body, wherever you need more strength, but by making yourself loose, making your center like a bowl, you can make it swirl inside like rolling water in a glass."

Her hips stilled as she stood beside the post, slightly shorter than the rope wrapped top. "Makes for very hard shoves." Only Akane even saw the hip flick the inch to the post, the hard wood cracking and splintering, the upper half toppling from the break.

Akane and Nabiki wear open mouthed, but it was Kasumi who spoke. "That hurt didn't it mother?"

Breaking from her grin to wince, the red head rubbed at her hip, "Ow ow ow. This new body isn't as resilient in the hips yet."

-

The sound of the girl's coming into the outer chamber of the bathroom had Ranma already climbing out of the tub, hands wiping the hot water off him as he made for his towel.

"Are you still in there Ranma-kun?" Kasumi called through the door.

"Yeah, sorry, I spaced out. Just coming out now."

"Nabiki," Akane's voice hissed from the ante room, "He's coming out here."

"You know your fiancé has probably played with Mom's chest right Akane? So what if he sees me in my bra?"

Drying himself quickly, Ranma wrapped the towel around his waste and moved for the door. Stepping from the steamy room, he kept his eyes off Akane who was standing in front of Nabiki, his eyes narrowing on Kimiko and the disheveled gi she wore. As the blue eyes of his own body looked down at his bare chest he didn't bother to ask about it, instead reaching for his pants and going for the door.

He just reached the door out when he remembered something important, "Oh, Nabiki, can I see you for a second?" As he turned to see his red faced fiancé still shielding her sister from his view, a sister who was kicking off her jeans. The undressing girl in question, hurrying if only to irritate her sister after that jiggle comment earlier, looked surprised at the boy over her sisters shoulder, hands reaching to cover up before she controlled herself.

"You pervert!" Akane accused, Ranma's face snapping back to look out the door.

"I didn't mean it like that, I mean I need a favor from her? A fully clothed favor!" he defended.

Kimiko frowned at her daughter's actions and reactions, but judged the boy as innocent. "I'm sure Nabiki will be happy to help after our bath. Perhaps you could help your mother? She's been cooking while we were training."

"On it," he said simply, using the excuse to flee, flicking the door closed behind him.

-

Belldandy smiled in relief as she read the sign before her at the side of the big gate to the Tendo home.

After tea and a long talk with the retired monsoon spirit, Belldandy thanked her host and moved back into looking for the Dojo, only to be distracted by helping a young man in the most adorable kimono who needed help cleaning up after being slashed with mud while running an errand for his employer. If she had time she might have to take him up on his offer of a meal at the okonomiyaki restaurant he worked at.

But that was for tomorrow. Though happy at arriving, she pursed her lips at the sign suggesting people coming to fight the master in brutal combat use the rear gate. She supposed that it was best to sort those who were violent from the more honorable visitor, but did they get so many aggressive people like that for this weathered old sign to be out here?

When a pair of shadows jumped the wall over her head, the goddess's eyebrows rose, wondering if it was very often. She smiled demurely again and whispered prayer, her form shrinking even as the gate opened for her and closed behind her flittering three-inch high form.

-

Ranma had only just gotten into the main hall when he was ambushed, a cascade of cold water flowing over his bare chest, his hands coming up as he spun around, "Hey!" he cried, rounding with arms up, expecting the old letch, but found two others instead.

"So what my great granddaughter says is true," Cologne stated with a sneer as she eyed the young man from her perch on her walking stick.

"All man now," Shampoo stated with a leer at the wet young man.

"Ack," Ranma stated, realizing his towel had dropped, a twisting jump through the air he pulled his black pants from over his arm, up his legs, deft fingers knotting the top even as he landed facing the Chinese pair again. "Yes I'm cured, no more bribes over locking the curse to make me marry Shampoo, sorry to disappoint you."

Shampoo frowned heavily but was silent standing behind her gnarled elder on the gnarled walking stick, "Watch your tone, boy, or I'll teach you some manners. I want to know how this came about? What magics have you been playing with?"

"Not so all knowing, huh Old Ghoul?" The pigtailed boy smirked, before shrugging, "Akane says she was watching me with Mom, and then wished her mother was alive. Big lightning bolt to my noggin, and we both nearly drowned in the pond with Mrs Tendo's ghost in my girl body now."

Ignoring the big grin on his smug face, Cologne considered his words, frowning at her own experience with 'wishing' magics. Before she could ask where the sudden wisher or the newly returned other victim was, Shampoo started to dive past her to latch on to him. "Shampoo too too happy for husband!"

The old woman's eyes watched the Japanese mans face, discontent with resignation in it as his beautiful bride latched onto him. She didn't expect him to react with joy or lust, but instead of resisting, his apathy showed just how little he acknowledged her great granddaughter.

"Son-in-law, where are the Tendo women, I need to speak to them while you entertain your wife?"

The cold voice from down the hall didn't cheer Cologne up. "Although Shampoo's desire for my son is appreciated, I would ask you not embarrass yourselves by claiming this unconsummated Amazon marriage, while here uninvited in the home of his true fiancée."

Shampoo paled, freezing enough for Ranma to free his arm, bending to grab up the wet towel, holding it ready to put between them should the prideful woman try to latch on again.

Cologne looked back with tired eyes at Nodoka who had come out of the kitchen, her lack of support had become opposition after the failed wedding. The opposition of the boy's mother was very inconvenient, though hardly insurmountable. But that was a problem for later, when she could be approached in a more agreeable mood. "No disrespect intended, Nodoka-san. We are here because of the magic that has cured your son. So many types of magic come with a price, hopefully this one will not have a cost that will make your son's future with any girl moot."

-

Kimiko shook her head at the old woman's questions, only part of her mind paying attention to the seemingly harmless old woman, the rest watching as her youngest daughter grumbled and huffed beside her fiancé, who though he had ignored the pretty foreign girl for most all of dinner, was now talking politely to her, pretty obviously after the last of the food on her plate. "No Cologne, I never saw anyone with strange markings on their face or claiming to be gods. I remember I was in hospital, talking to Soun about how tired I was, then suddenly I am wet on the engawa waking up in this body with my husband ten years older and my girls all grown up."

The old woman frowned, as the blue eyes of the boy she knew looked with wistful, loving eyes of a mother, at three of the girls at the table. She glanced towards Akane, tempted to go over her story once more to see if she wasn't recalling the words she used to make this 'wish', but the irritated young woman was far from helpful in this mood. Actually aside from irritation, the only emotion she had shown was to sway or wiggle slightly with a dark smile at Shampoo.

"I would suggest you all stay wary of the magic that caused this. There is no magical lottery were lucky winners get a free wish. The price of this cure has yet to appear, we may be lucky if only Happosai is behind this m…"

"I wish!" cried the aged master of Anything Goes martial arts, bouncing from under the table even as all the girls shrieked and darted back from the pervert. "I could think of better things to waste a wish on!"

The old freaks eyes glazed at whatever perverted fantasies he would have wished for, but he still caught Ranma's fist as it rocketed in at his bald head, flicking the boy straight out the shogi to the yard outside, a splash of water showing his landing point in the pond.

Ranma head re-emerged fast, black haired and male, making Happi sigh dejectedly in loss, but his lips turned up into a wide grin as he turned at Kimiko, "Lil Kimi. I figured you were lost to me? Your talents, your art, but the biggest loss. Where are they Kimiko Tendo? Where are my treasures? My greatest pretties had all rotted away in the attic, but what of the other two? The Flame of Chuang-Mu and my…"

Whatever crescendo the old man was building two when demanding his great treasure back, was ended by blindingly fast swing of Cologne's old walking stick, forcing the pervert back once, then a second jump from a follow up and the old man was gripped suddenly in the powerful fingers of his soaking wet heir.

"The Flame of Chuang-Mu is an Amazon treasure!"

To be continued…

Chuang-mu is supposedly a Chinese goddess of the home, family, and the bedroom.

Special thanks to Doctor Emmit Brown, and MwhaleK, Paul Henkel, Rosedreams, Wheedle1, tendoakane3, and Sakurabana for proof reading and plot inspiring.

Thank you for reading.

Trent O'Donoghue


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